Tag Archives: comfort

It is perfectly OK to enjoy familiar things over and over

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It is perfectly OK to enjoy familiar things over and over. Tasting the same fruit twice can be very nice.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Julian Hochgesang

Wendy and I recently returned to Pennsylvania from my first “snow bird” season in Florida. Although I very much enjoyed the sunshine and warmth of our surroundings and the friendships we created, there is something about coming home to what’s most familiar that feels extra nice.

Things that we sometimes overlooked took on a familiar feel much like a favorite pair of warm, cozy pajamas before slipping into our extra cool sheets, given the temperature difference.

EXERCISE:

Where and how do you take extra pleasure in the familiar aspects of your life?

Which of the fruits of your world help you feel most at home?

Discover the home in your head

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Discover the home in your head. Make it a place of love, comfort, wisdom, peace and beauty.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Julian Hochgesang

Home Sweet Home is perhaps the most common phrase on door mats across America. It’s a hopeful saying we wish were true at all times but unfortunately, we often come up short of its aspirational message.

Physical clutter, challenging relationships, and even our inner demons sometime leave a bitter taste we prefer not to swallow.

Although external factors are not always in our control, much work can be done to clean up the home in our head.

Instead of getting out the vacuum, dust pans, and rags, how would greater love, wisdom, and a peaceful heart help you experience the comfort, beauty, and sweetness you desire?

EXERCISE:

What actions can and will you take today to bring more of these wonderful qualities into your life?

Seek out the peace and comfort in the familiar

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Seek out the peace and comfort in the familiar. Enjoy the taste of the same fruit twice.

Image from Unsplash by Taras Shypka

What’s your favorite movie?
How many times have you seen it?
What’s your favorite song?
How often do you play it?
What’s your favorite comfort food?

You get the idea…

With the barrage of media influences these days, there seems to be a lot of pressure to always seek novelty in our lives.

Constantly seeking what’s new to check one more thing off our bucket lists seems to be contagious. This excessive busyness and urgency for more and new rarely offers the enduring peace and comfort we truly want.

EXERCISE:

Where do you seek and find comfort in your daily pursuits?

How does savoring the familiar things in life offer this satisfaction and sweetness?

“Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy …”

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“Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of.”

—Anonymous

Photo from Flickr by M01229

Photo from Flickr by M01229

As I write this post, it is a brisk seven degrees here in Michigan, and yet I am still going to  the gym to exercise.

My bed is comfortable, and far warmer than what awaits me outside. What gets me up and going when staying put would be far more pleasant?

Quite simply, I have made exercise a habit that takes far less discipline these days than it did in the past, before it became part of my daily routine.

The factors that lay beneath my exercise habit is the commitment I have made, and the value I attribute to being healthy.

EXERCISE:

What are the bad habits that no longer serve your professional or personal commitments? How will you embrace any discomfort you might experience by replacing one bad habit with one that will serve you better?

“Try to be like the turtle – at ease in your own shell.”

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“Try to be like the turtle – at ease in your own shell.”

– Bill Copeland, Australian athlete

Turtles and tortoises are interesting creatures. Below are a few facts:
1. They actually make a sound, even though they do not have vocal chords.
2. Tortoises orbited the moon before astronauts did, in the Soviet space probe Zond 5.
3. They don’t have ears – but can perceive low-pitched sounds.
4. They are nearly as old as the dinosaurs, with examples going back to over 200 million years ago.
5. They can see color and have a preference for red, orange, and yellow.

Exercise:

Take a few moments to look within yourself and discover the wonders of you, to be at ease in your own shell.

If this is a bit challenging, consider requesting such feedback from those close to you.