Only a few more hours until the weekend begins. What adventures or relaxing activities await you after you leave your workplace, shut down your computer and enjoy a couple days of freedom? Will you reconnect with old friends, catch up on leisure reading, or embark on a longer fitness pursuit than the weekend usually allows? Whatever your plan – or lack of plan – is, I hope that it is wonderful.
Another weekend full of possibilities is upon us.
What may feel like a tiny gesture of kindness to you could transform the recipient’s day. Isn’t that amazing? In all of us, we have the power to spread joy and compassion, just by being kind. One of the reasons I think that I am so keen on goats is that smiles are contagious. I can’t help but smiling back when I see a goat, even if that goat is giving me a smidgen of side-eye. Even when you have a difficult day, flashing someone a smile or doing a small act of kindness can be a form of self care. It is especially important to remember to be kind during the holidays, you never know what the stranger on the bus or person you pass on the street has going on.
Smile at strangers and be kind to all.
Sometimes it is so hard to stay focused. December is a time of fun and festivities, but it is also a time of deadlines and duties. Self-care during this time of year is especially important, when you feel like you are all over the place and run ragged, take a moment (or two, or five, or an hour!) for yourself to refocus before polishing off your to-do list.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself during the busy holiday season.
Never underestimate the importance of rest. Getting enough sleep and rest helps to boost our health and our ability to care for others.
Do you ever worry about fitting in and belonging with a group, squad or tribe? Sometimes there can be a lot of pressure to finding the right fit or going along with the flow. Many famous writers have remarked that the true path to belonging is to just be your most authentic self. It is difficult sometimes to find the balance between being your most authentic self and fitting in with others, but realizing that belonging is kind of an illusion, and happiness, belonging and less alienation happens when you just let that need for belonging go. Maya Angelou sums it up better:
You only are free when you realize you belong no place — you belong every place — no place at all
Find your own path, your own place to stand, and the rest will follow.
“Be courageous, but not foolhardy.” -the wise Maya Angelou.
Don’t let anything or anyone hold you back. Sometimes, the most limiting cages are the ones we create for ourselves. Break free of your assumptions, of your self-critique and go for it – whatever it is. Press on, even when obstacles appear in your way. You never know, what you might first perceive to be a prohibitive boundary might be an opportunity in disguise.
The most confining spaces are the ones we create ourselves.
Many of us enjoy sharing various bits and pieces of our daily lives to the world on social media. Apps such as Instagram and Facebook make it easy to feel like you’re connected to friends a world away. However, sometimes with this amazing ability to share your life with others, there is pressure to only share the very best parts! Just remember, when you see someone living it up and feeling fantastic, those posts are carefully chosen to showcase the best. Don’t let a bit of bad lighting get you down – you do you, you share you, and let them be them.
Perhaps one day I will take a photography course.
Most (not all) of the goats I have shared on this blog, so far, have been goats I have actually met. I met this goat about a month ago at Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats. She (I think, I did not go to great lengths to confirm, and as gender is a human social construct, I think goats are beyond that sort of thing) had the most luxurious, softest coat. Clearly, she was well aware that she was one fabulous looking goat and trotted across the grass with amazing confidence. The weekend is a great time to break out and do things that make you feel fabulous, whether it’s going out dancing, strutting across the greens or pampering yourself with the comforts of home on a staycation.
A confident caprine at Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats
Sometimes, the best response to stressful uncertainty is to just let the universe take its course. It is no use worrying or being anxious about things that are outside of your control.
Sometimes, there is nothing you can do but enjoy the sunshine.
One of the loveliest things about autumn is the transformation of leaves from green to beautiful yellows, oranges and reds, eventually falling to the each dried and crunchy. Although the colder and shorter days may be less pleasant than the warm and sunny spring and summer, find some joy in the last moments before winter and have a go at crunching on some leaves. Trust me, it’s quite fun.
No kidding, crunching on some fall leaves can be satisfying and fun.
Goat of the Day 