When I saw the Gratitude List thread I remembered something which I came across on a pain support thread a few years ago – simple pleasures.
To me simple pleasures are the things which don't cost much (if anything) and just bring a smile to your face. Yes, I am grateful for them but it's more than gratitude. It's an acknowledgement of instinctive happiness. The kind of happiness which is irrepressible no matter what else is going on in life.
I hope that everyone has simple pleasures, no matter how bad things are, because they're such a special part of life. They're so simple they can go unnoticed at the time but if I'm feeling low and stop to think back over the day it'll be a very rare day when I can't remember at least one of these moments of happiness.
So to get things started. Some of mine:
- feeling the sun on my face (especially after a long cold winter)
- watching my cats sleep (especially on their back in the garden because it shows such a level of trust and comfort)
- staring up at the moon and the stars at night and watching them move across the sky as the night wears on
- the first moment when I'm swimming and feel weightless and then the sense of power from movement for the rest of the swim
- tasting a new recipe for the first time and knowing I'll always love that taste
I'd love to hear about yours.
