I’m a big fan of acknowledging and deeply appreciating the simple joys of living. Most of which cost no money or very little money, things we all have access to if only we look a certain way. There are different depths of mindfulness, just seeing all the way to deep appreciation and awareness.  I’m definitely not against certain kinds of materialism to a certain extent! Nothing wrong with vacations and big shopping sprees and big celebrations and things! But there’s so many “little” things surrounding us right now that we can tap into at any point and be filled with warmth and gratitude. Let’s cherish them.  Here’s my list!  When sunlight or sunsets reflect off of cars, signs, or buildings or puddles or anything  Waking up in the early morning and hearing birds chirping cheerfully  Falling asleep to a heavy rainstorm  The perfect cup of coffee or tea When an illness or pain ends and the feeling of the old self reappears and is stronger than ever Meeting someone and experiencing a deep “soul” connection The first glistening snowfall of the season  The first flowers blossoming in the beginning of Spring  Hearing an old forgotten song  The beginning of Fall when the crunchy leaves cover the streets and the scents of October fill the air Late Autumn when it’s almost Winter & the holiday season and my inspiration runs deep Crickets singing on a warm Summer night  Laying in bed at night reading a mystery book

my bones (hipbones, collarbone, neck bones…) and the way they delicately poke through my skin

my heartbeat ❤

Cobblestone streets  Hugs Helping someone  Waking up with dogs sleeping all around me in bed Walking in a light rainfall on a cool night – it’s a feeling of sweet liberation  The first cool nights of the season  The way my long hair feels against my lower back  Receiving a sweet message by someone I know or someone I never met before then  Random acts of kindness  Any act of kindness, random or not Feeling a general sense of deep inspiration  Hugging someone I just met  When a headache finally ends  The feeling of early morning  Cool gray days

Warm and sunny afternoons surrounded by trees and green and flowers  Beautiful parks Being surrounded by lots of people  Feeling beautiful  Finding an inspiring quote or song that completely resonates with me Beautiful people  When I’m not wearing makeup and think I look even better than when I have my face made up!  A bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds Seeing seagulls flying through the sky A starry starry night 

A big, bright full moon  Honeybees on bright colored flowers Warm fluffy blankets  The warmth of clothes just out of a dryer The holiday season  Christmas songs  Feeling that there’s nowhere else I would rather be than right here right now, wherever it may be, including at work!  Unexpected rain Talking to someone who completely understands what I’m saying  Philadelphia skyscrapers  Red dresses Anything pink Warm pj’s  Walking into an air conditioned room after stepping out of 100 degree weather outside  The warmth of a hot drink flowing through the whole body on a cool/cold day Philosophy text books  Kindle app Free Kindle books! (many people think if they are free they must suck or be very short books but it’s not necessarily true! I got free ones before with 400 pages and very good ones! Give them a chance! ;-D )  The feeling of stepping out of an air conditioned room into a hot, sunny, Summer day. I love the scent of the Summer heat and the feel of the blanket of heat enveloping me the first few seconds I step into it. The sound of construction work outside off in the distance. Yes, I love this! I just love the sounds of the city.  Shadows on the ground.  Warm puppy kissies. The warm smell of doggy fur.  Laughing til it hurts. Street lamps City lights  Flowers Seeing people sitting under umbrellas outside of restaurants on Spring & Summer days sipping pretty tropical looking drinks out of delicate looking glasses.  Simple, light but fun conversations with friends  Girls in stilettos  When I’m laying in bed and my long hair touches the floor  Abandoned houses  Stop signs  Street signs Squirrels running up the trees or eating  Realizing I like something I never used to like. Black & white photography for example, and flat shoes and cheese fries with ketchup. Waking up to rain Vintage looking objects and photos  Stories that take place long long ago Reminiscing about pleasant things  The way candy always tastes better in the cold weather  Meeting/knowing someone who is overly compassionate. We can never have too much love! The fragrances of winter & fall – pumpkin, cinnamon, pine, apple, peppermint… Tropical candles lit in Spring & Summer Moneystealers Fall in Philadelphia  Philadelphia any season  (he was on a wall in my house – so soft & fuzzy. I rescued him after my sister found him. ) The Eastern State Penitentiary /haunted attraction  SEPTA busses, trolleys, and trains  Everyday objects  Insects The way lights streams through a door to a dark room when the door is slightly open. Sometimes I leave a light off just to see it. My struggle with depression and with severe physical pain inspire me to more deeply acknowledge and appreciate and realize these simple treasures. When I’m in severe pain of any kind, beautiful things seem to jump out at me more, reminding me that I “can’t have” or “don’t deserve” them and this inspires me to notice them more when I’m not in severe pain. And I learned to seize them no matter how much pain I’m in. But we can learn to bask in and deeply appreciate the simple treasures even without the pain. I think most of us have little things we love but may not always be mindful of them or just how much we love the beauty of them. Let’s stop. And mindfully cherish those things all around us each and every day. One way I express my love and perception of the simple joys, is taking pictures and often editing them to exaggerate or magnify the small details to make them stand out.   We often overlook reflections, shadows, mundane things….in person but in photos they stand out more.  What simple treasures do you cherish even if you never realized just how much you love them? And how can you express your appreciation? Photography? Writing? Painting? Drawing? Let’s get creative! Let’s live with intention. 😀 Xoxo Kim