It’s been a tough week. But I’m grateful for this practice of finding gratitude + joy even in times where life is just plain hard. Because I know that there truly is good all around me even when it doesn’t necessarily feel that way. I just have to look for it, lean into it. Just because there were a lot of tough moments doesn’t mean there weren’t also many joyful moments. I’m embracing how powerful perspective is.
Some highlights this week included celebrating birthdays, spending quality time with people I love, and getting outside in the sunshine-filled spring weather.
Exploring new places in Madison with a friend, watching the ice melting on the lake, and feeling sun on my skin. I cannot wait to return to this trail along Lake Waubesa in the summertime.
Celebrating Michael’s 31st birthday— chicken pot pie for dinner, my flourless brownies for dessert, tropical drinks to manifest warmer weather in Wisconsin (+ an old fashioned for me because old fashioneds always), and playing code names with the family. It was such a fun evening with lots of laughs.
I enjoyed a work + coffee date with a friend (for the first time in over a year!) at the cutest little spot in McFarland— McFarland House Cafe. It is amazing how life-giving it’s been to have real, deep conversations during the pandemic. I’ve been finding a lot of comfort + connection in some of my friendships lately, and I’m so thankful for that. Afterwards, I had a deep tissue massage which is always incredibly restorative.
On Sunday, my mom and I grabbed some coffee to go, picked out some new houseplants at Klein’s, and went for a walk. It was so nice to be in a warm greenhouse this time of year and do all the spring things together!
Random things I’m into lately—
Getting into the spirit of spring: Learning all about how to start a garden, deep cleaning the house, finally putting away all of our holiday decorations, + baking lemon chia seed bread (all I can say is YUM + I cannot wait to share)
Book: Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Music: This week I started listening to alllll the country music. Every year I seem to stop listening to country once the weather gets cold, but I get in the mood for it once it gets warm + sunny out again!
Movie: Hearts Beat Loud. Oh my gosh, such a feel-good movie— I loved it.
A good podcast I listened to this week: Episode 399 of the Almost 30 Podcast: The Joy of Healing with Devi Brown
An addition to my journaling ritual: This week I’ve been tracking a few things in my journal each day— my mood in the morning, my daily water intake, what book I read, my movement for the day, whether or not I took my supplement, and a small act of love for someone else.
Meaningful quotes + ideas
I like to regularly set intentions, write down quotes + ideas from books, and pin inspiring mantras. Here are a few from this past week.
Think big, but act and live small to accomplish what we seek.
The act of being an eternal student keeps you humble.
Listen > Speak
I’m looking forward to bright + sunny days ahead, literally + figuratively. Despite a lot of challenging moments this past week, I know that all things are temporary. And this series, Little Moments Lately, is a continual practice of grounding myself + remembering how much I have to be thankful for.
Happy Monday, what a gift it is to be alive, to have a new week ahead of us, to feel our feelings, to experience highs + lows, to grow + learn, and to love. Most of all, to love.
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