Breathe – and – smile!

The other day I was having one of those “everything-seems-to-be-going-against-me-today” days and felt quite stuck for a way ‘out’. I decided to take a break and went outside and sat down – it happened to be glorious sunshine, but I didn’t really notice. I picked up “the little book of Mindfulness” (edited by Tiddy Rowan and published by Quadrille Publishing Ltd) and flicked on to a random page and read the following; “Breathe – and – smile!”

I didn’t smile. I laughed out loud! It was a moment where I was reminded of several things at once; I was reminded of how grateful I am to be alive, healthy, well and open to such “coincidences”. I was reminded that these “coincidences” are not coincidences at all; how can they be!?! Something much bigger was at work here to support me and help me to breathe and smile. Because that was exactly what I needed in that moment. Again, I felt grateful for such a powerful and wonderful sign.

It reminded me that sometimes we take ourselves too seriously (myself included!) and we try to control and dictate every step of the way, which makes us ridged, stressed out and stuck. Sometimes we actually just need to step back – and trust. Trust that guidance will come. Trust that all is well, and all will be well. Trust that we can sit back and breathe for a bit. And smile.

I then noticed the wonderful surroundings; the warm sunshine, the twittering birds, the stunningly blue sky, the green grass, the trees – everything around me seemed so beautiful. Once more I felt utterly grateful.

Sometimes we need reminders to remember all of this. A visual reminder such as a watch or ring, that you carry with you, and when you see it, you remember to stop. You can also have a note in your wallet or diary with the message. An audio reminder; a phone alarm (you can maybe choose a pleasant sound rather than the shrilling sound of a phone, which might startle you rather than gently nudge you to pause) or the church bells, which will remind you to take a break. Nothing is right or wrong, as long as it works for you.

It is so easy to get caught up in the hectic busyness of life and forget to take a moment to be grateful, to feel happy, to notice the sun, to smile to someone on the street, to marvel at a beautiful scenery – yes, it all sounds like clichés, but I can guarantee you, that you will feel better for it. You will feel more whole, more satisfied, more happy, and much more focused on what it is you want to do. You will feel empowered, brave and able to take the steps to live the life you want.

How can you create that, if you are overwhelmed, stressed, run-down? You need space to create.

You need to breathe – and – smile!