“Sometimes, the simple things are more fun and meaningful than all the banquets in the world …”
― E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly

Welcome to the weekend! I hope you are ready to relax and enjoy some time just for yourself and the people and things that are important in your life. For many years I did not know how to relax. I wanted to relax, it is in my nature, I just honestly didn’t know how. My attempts to relax were valiant; however, my mind seemed to make me feel guilty for not taking care of business. There always seemed to be business. I have made quite a bit of progress in this area over the past several years but I still struggle from time to time with just letting go of obligations for a couple of hours or even a day.

This evening I was trying to put things together for school and all the things I needed to accomplish this weekend flooded brain making me even more exhausted than I already was. Then bam, just like that, a late but great New Years goal popped into my mind. Weekends should be about relaxation and rejuvenation. So, no matter what else I have going on in my life, I need to find time for a simple pleasure each weekend; a pleasure free from the distractions of life.  2014 is going to be the year of conscious enjoyment.

My plan is to make a list of things that I enjoy and include one thing each weekend. The challenge is going to be to sit back and enjoy the moment without any mental conversations going on in my head. It is a good weekend to start working on my goal since it is my manicure weekend, yay! I also will be fortunate enough to enjoy pizza and a tea house with various friends. That is a lot of simple pleasures for one weekend. How funny that only an hour ago all I could see was endless obligations.

My initial list of my simple pleasure included:

• Trying a new restaurant
• Reading  a new book
• A good coffee or tea
• A movie or TV series on Netflix ( don’t watch TV during the week as a general rule)
• Getting outdoors and hiking, walking, and exploring
• Catching up with friends
• Playing  my flute
• Crafts
• Snuggling with my kitties
• Listening to different types of music
• Catching up on my favorite blogs

I am sure I will come up with many more simple pleasures to enjoy on the weekends. What would be on your list?

So, here is to a nice relaxing weekend filled with simple pleasures!

Until next time, relax and enjoy!

Laura