Appreciation…

How often do you really take time to appreciate things?

I don’t mean the sending out thank you cards to everyone for presents received kind of appreciation, nor the “thank you” you give to someone for holding a door open for you type of appreciation. I’m talking more the time to really think, look, and take in something, to experience it… to appreciate something…

What about something as simple as enjoying the colours of a sunset after a long drive home….

Stopping to take some time to myself however, is something that I find nearly impossible, I feel guilt from not doing something, like I’m wasting time if I’m not constantly on the go, achieving things… Recently however, I’ve been taking a course in mindfulness, and it’s made me really appreciate things more, and I’ve certainly gained an understanding of how important it is to sometimes just take 5 minutes to get inside your own head.

Just the other day, I got up super early as we had a day booked to bursting point full of meetings. I needed to get a training session in, but as I started my run, I got to the sea-wall, and saw this start to the sunrise. I realised that it was OK to take a few minutes to enjoy it, to take a snap and have a moment of quiet.

Take something as simple as art… These 2 pictures are things that I’ve just stumbled across on my travels.

The first is a painting from the owner of this amazing boho jewellery store that I sometimes grab crazy pieces from.. Her Instagram feed is full of loveliness, and this just really made me stop and enjoy its vividness for a while.

https://www.instagram.com/ohmboho

This other piece was a re-imagined picture of what cells might look like in the body. I found this at the MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) in Tampa, Florida. It was just tucked away down a random corridor on the way to the toilets. Just the colour and the heart shaping of the cells makes it so cool, despite my crap picture!

What about something as simple as some orchids in a tree outside the local Yacht Club in Rio? There’s something so happy about orchids, and I must confess that they are my favourite type of flower.

So take a minute, trust me its OK…. Appreciation is something we could all do with more of. Enjoy what’s around you, the little things really do add up….

H x