Stop and Smell the Roses

By Jess Albright, LGPC

With all of the new and fancy technology we have these days there is instantaneous access to limitless information.  With the same technology we also make ourselves accessible 24/7 to the latest and greatest news as well as to the world.  Everything is constantly go, go, go.  But what about all the small joys in life that we have become too busy to enjoy?  What about all the little things we simply overlook anymore?  

I’m here to propose that you stop and take the time to see, feel, hear, taste, and smell all of the beautiful things around you.  Free yourself from the constant bombardment of updates.  Take some time to enjoy the simple joys that life holds.  It’s really quite liberating!  But you don’t have to take my word for it.  Here is a list of 30 fun and simple things to do (one for each day of the month) that you can try for yourself.  Kids, parents, adults alike – don’t hold back.  Everyone can gain from stopping to smell the roses! 

• Dance/play in the rain (Don’t forget to splash in the puddles too!)
• Go for a walk outside and take in all the surrounding sights, smells, and sounds (Yes, that’s right, leave your iPod at home)
• Rake up a big pile of leaves and jump into it (Remember how much fun that was as a kid?)
• Walk in the grass with your bare feet and let the blades tickle your toes (Unless of course you are allergic to grass…)
• Write a letter to your best friend (You know the kind that you put in an envelope and requires a stamp.)
• Lay on a blanket at night and star gaze (Can you find the Big Dipper?  Where’s Orion’s belt?)
• Volunteer to return an elderly person’s cart at the grocery store (A smile on his/her face can put one on yours as well)
• Wear a really silly pair of underwear (Nobody knows except you!)
• Find a clear spot and watch the sunset (I’d say sunrise, but who wants to get up that early!)
• Go to the nearest playground and swing on the swings (If you close your eyes, it feels like you’re flying!)
• Build a fort in your living room (Cardboard boxes, sheets – whatever it takes!)
• Eat your favorite cereal from when you were a kid (Yum…Lucky Charms are so delicious!)
• Play your favorite board game from when you were a kid (Hungry, Hungry, Hippos anyone?)
• Bake and eat homemade cookies (And don’t forget the glass of milk!)
• Go to the nearest body of water and skip rocks (I got 3 skips.  Can you beat that?)
• Put a puzzle together (I always say that life is like a giant puzzle…)
• Have a paper airplane distance competition (Remember the old trick of adding a paperclip to the nose?)
• Climb a tree, take in your surroundings, and be one with your thoughts (Don’t go too high!)
• Give people unexpected compliments and watch them smile (Smiles are contagious, so be ready for one to appear on your face too!)
• Have a pillow fight (Body pillows really get the job done!)
• Listen to your favorite rock music and jam out on the air guitar (Dude, you rock!)
• Draw on the driveway/sidewalk with chalk (Hopscotch anyone?)
• Speak with an accent for the day (Good day, mate!)
• Go outside and blow bubbles (Can you catch one in your hand?  Can you catch it on the end of the wand?)
• Finger paint (Don’t have paint?  Try using chocolate pudding—it’s fun and delicious!)
• Buy some bubble gum and have a bubble blowing contest (Gum stuck in your hair?  Don’t forget the old peanut butter trick!)
• Buy a package of Jelly Belly jellybeans, blindly pop them in your mouth, and try to identify the flavor (Watch out for the jalapeno flavored ones!  Yuck!)
• Make pancakes.  Better yet, make them into shapes (Snowmen and Mickey Mouse are always crowd pleasers!)
• Color in a coloring book (Who says you have to stay in the lines?)
• Make up your own list of 30 fun things to do (Let your creativity soar!)