Enjoying your life, an act of rebellion

One concept I love to bring into ‘life on purpose’ is the idea of simple pleasures

I’ve shared on this over the years and would also share my current simple pleasures on the podcast episodes.

And, I don’t mean the things we turn to for self-comfort and coping.  

I mean the simple pleasures – the things built into our daily lives that are available to us to experience and savour with all of our senses:

• It is using your favourite soap

• It is stopping to notice the way the light shines through the trees

• It is putting on a song you feel like listening to right now and singing it out loud

• It is wearing the clothes that make you feel like ‘you’ (in the best way)

• It is drinking your coffee from your very favourite mug

• It is putting on red lipsticks with your sweats because you wanna feel fancy but also comfy

• It is being overrun with mom overwhelm then one of your kid’s witty jokes stopping you in your tracks

• It is always your neighbour’s tree that you can see from the cozy spot on the couch

These are some of my simple pleasures. I know, very Type Nine vibes!  All very hygge of me. 

Simple pleasures may be simple, but they are not easy. 

Because the reality is that enjoying the simple pleasures of life has also meant that I have had to (and do) wrestle with all of my stories of shame, grief, identity, overwhelm, martyrdom and worth to reclaim the right to enjoy my actual life even when it is hard and doesn’t look how I want it to look. 

Enjoying the simple pleasures in life can be an act of rebellion. 

Against all the things that burden you

Against the culture that tells you happiness is only available in the next amazon order

Against the lies that tie up your self-worth in performing for and pleasing others 

Against the numbing of your own heart, body and mind from the things you were told were silly or selfish

Enjoying your actual life is an act of love towards yourself. 

It means you have to turn inwards to your own ideas, passions, views, and experiences. 

It is a mining of dopamine in the everyday bedrock of your life. Seeking and crushing and distilling out the goodness that is there hiding amongst the hard.

I used to end a lot of my emails with ‘this is your life, you should enjoy it’ and I say that knowing how hard it can feel, but also how much it can change your experience of yourself and your life. 

👩🏻‍💻 If this is something you want support on, book in a coaching session to explore and strategize. 

Taking this topic further:

• Why is it hard to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, and what to do about it (episode 63)
• Being a mom who enjoys her life (episode 203)
• How to have more fun, as a mom (episode 138)
• Internal vs external validation (episode 192)
• Emotional needs in motherhood (what are they, and how to meet them) (episode 185)
• Wearing your fave clothes (episode 159)