Hopeservations

Find the WONDER in EVERY Day!

“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.” – Albert Einstein

HEY Y’ALL!

It’s me, Hope here – doing what I do and writing a Hopeservations about it! So check it out…

I went to the beach this morning, did my usual early wake up to get there in time.

Whoa…was it a beauty!

As most of you know by now, this a nearly daily thing. It can last anywhere from five minutes to five hours, depending on my schedule and frame of mind. If time permits and I just want to “BE” – I could sit all day…or maybe it’s my purposeful practice, “slow myself down and get my mind right with the world” quick visit. It doesn’t matter…either or, I know what’s best for me in the moment.

It just so happens I usually invite my kids to join me, sometimes they come – sometimes they don’t. It’s their call and no pressure. When they were younger and our visits were en route to me dropping them off at school every morning, they took great delight in these little purposeful trips. It was their little playful escape before the start of the day. I get it, it’s basically the same for me too.

Now they are older, so it’s a little hit and miss but a few months ago I took Sadie and one of her friends. Turns out, there are quite a few of my kid’s friends who have lived in Daytona Beach their whole life and never been to the beach for a sunrise.

When I made the announcement I was going, which I do all the time anyway, I asked Sadie, “would you guys like to come with me?” Sadie was contemplating it when her girlfriend shouted, “Yes I would love to!” After hearing her friend’s desire, Sadie immediately said, “well sure – we’ll go.”

It occurred to me, based on her friend’s reaction, that she might not have seen one before. So I asked her and sure enough she said, “no, I’ve never seen a beach sunrise before and I want to!”

This got me to thinking about something I have often thought on…

Many people live in survive mode for so long, it’s easy to forget to enjoy the emotional and spiritual freedom that comes from taking advantage of a few thrive mode moments! With all the beautiful things life has to offer, weekends and vacations don’t have to be the only opportunities to practice slowing down to delight in the wonder that we are surrounded by every day!

Usually a child’s exposure is only as broad as their parents are able to allow. I FULLY grasp how the adult mindset can become SO fixated on the daily hurdles of life, they begin to overlook these beautiful opportunities!

When parents aren’t doing it for themselves, they aren’t exposing their children to it either! Not because they don’t care or don’t want to. They’re simply OVERWHELMED and have forgotten to think about themselves OR don’t have the time for a bit of self care.

And boy oh boy…have I ever been there myself!

So I completely understand how these things can happen.

Thankfully when Abby was three, I began to force myself to emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually slow down. It started with the pivotal decision that summers weren’t to be compromised. She was young and I came to the conclusion I was staying home and no longer teaching summer school. This became a non negotiable time with my children and MYSELF! Yes, it meant financially we would STRUGGLE because that extra income helped but I realized I was willing to make that sacrifice in exchange for that uninterrupted time with my children and my own PEACE (not piece) of mind!

I became creative in finding simple ways to free my mind from stress and worry and still provide my child exposure to the wonder around us!

The irony of that – the more I looked for the wonderful moments, the more I became AWARE of wonder filled moments and the opportunities all around me! Plus, the more I saw my child’s wonder, the more I became child like in my wonder too.

From there, what started as intentional became such a fluid part of the day, it unintentionally just evolved to become an every day thing, at all times of the day.

We see a beautiful sunset, let’s stop. Look at those cute ducks, the world will wait. Those sailing prams look so pretty, let’s take a peak. The wonder in every moment is ENDLESS!

It was then that I realized I had found my own practice of pause and I could grab it ANY moment! I could keep it simple or I could expand upon it with a meditation, a quick reading, snapping a picture or two…MY options, MY wonder, MY life!

Fast forward all these years and I now work with so many parents and families who are SO stressed all the time and carry the weight of the world on their shoulders! It makes it hard to remember to STOP and take that quick moment for yourself and allow your kids to SEE you enjoying those very moments!

Often times, it’s the weekend everyone’s grinding away to get to or their one vacation of the year…and hey, weekends and vacations are wonderful too but if you pay attention to life’s bounty through out the day, everyday, we can find beautiful little moments of reprieve all around us!

Sometimes that very moment is all the moment of self care that is needed TO JUST BREATHE and take in your surroundings!

I took one of Finn’s friends with us to watch the sunrise on New Years Day. He was so excited, he was the first one up, out the door, in the car and ready to go!

It’s amazing how innately kids love these moments.

And guess what?!

It’s amazing how much adults need to give these moments to themselves so they can return to their own innate selves!

SO THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION FOR YOURSELF!

Stop!

Take that moment!

Take a breath!

Let it out!

Be child like!

REMEMBER each DAY is filled with WONDER!

Everything you’re so worried about will still be there, so give yourself the gift of just a MOMENT of WONDER & reprieve in the middle of it ALL!

YOU DESERVE IT!

For yourself, for your child, and most importantly for the child in YOU!

“The world will never starve for want of wonders, but for want of wonder.”- G. K. Chesterton

WHAT’S NEXT

1. LET’S CONNECT

You know me, I TRULY love to connect! So SHARE your WONDER FILLED MOMENTS or hopeful observations in the COMMENT SECTION below! Love a spiritual verse, inspirational affirmation or quote, I would love to read it. It might be a future topic!!!

2. BE A SUBSCRIBER

Simple two steps!

1. Enter your email address in the “SUBSCRIBE HERE” box BELOW.

2. Go to your email inbox, locate the welcome email from Hopeservations and hit CONFIRM!

3. SHARING IS CARING

Don’t be shy! Click the “LIKE IT, LOVE IT, SHARE IT” buttons below and share HOPESERVATIONS to your social media’s! Encourage your friends and family to share and subscribe too!

4. READ MORE

Check out a previous piece “DON’T WAIT!”

Click the picture…

PS – Hopeservations is GROWING!

The ripple effects of SHARING the HOPE are wide and far reaching. I’ve been getting personal comments, private messages, texts and emails – thanking me for these reading – so I want to thank all of you for supporting and being a part of this grow community!

It seems there are a lot of us out there who appreciate personal growth practices and living a lifestyle of spreading hope and sharing observations about life.

I look forward to us continuing our hopeful journey together!

Now – I’m off to see what other WONDERS I can enjoy on this lovely morning and you do the same!

I am forever excited for what the day will bring because each day just keeps getting better and better!

After-all, everyone needs a little HOPE in their DAY and this is just the PLACE.

A place to find Hope everyday!

As always…

Go in love,

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