We recently got a new dog, and boy it’s been exhausting. Lily died at 16. And I’d forgotten what she was like during the first few months. And the amount of dog poo a single pet can produce. But, as well as the hardships, you forget the excitements a new dog faces. And watching her […]
Taking Pleasure Where You Find it
Taking pleasure is largely a matter of choice. Sometimes the things that bring you pleasure are the things you have to work for. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, pleasure is enjoyment, happiness, or satisfaction, or something that gives this [feeling]. This week, we’ve been taking pleasure as we’ve prepared to welcome a new dog into […]
Stop and Smell the Roses
In September last year, I wrote about tiny little things. How spending the smallest of increments of time on the smallest of inconsequential matters (like stopping to smell the roses) might help you feel a little bit more in control. It does for me at any rate. I recently came across an old post by […]
The Pleasure of Getting Things Done
Despite the hope of getting things done, we’re often better at starting than finishing them. Yet by definition, getting things done is all about the finish. Finish: A1. to complete something or come to the end of an activityB1. to eat, drink, or use something completely so that none remains Cambridge Dictionary And there’s the […]
The What, Why, and How of Pleasure
When times get tough, one of the first expenses cut is pleasure. In the face of all other considerations, it becomes frivolous and wasteful. And yet, without pleasure, life can look and feel very grim. The other day I was watching one of a series of news reports by Geoff Thompson on Australia’s housing affordability […]
5 Hints for Achieving Happiness
Some days it seems that all around you are exhortations to be happy. And some days, it feels like you might as well try to be cheese as be happy. So, how do you go about Achieving Happiness? What is Happiness? According to my favourite Oxford English Dictonary, happiness is: 1. The quality or condition […]
Life is Passing Me By
I can’t believe the year is a quarter gone – it’s passing me by. I had grand plans, but I’ve achieved nothing. Panic has set in. It’s time to take a deep breath, stop dithering, and get stuff done. You can see more of my Haiku here. Image by Arieth via Canva.
Books: to keep or not keep?
Since I read Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, I keep falling over intense, library voice (whispered) bookish debates about whether to keep or not keep books. More often than not, the argument centres on not keeping, and Ms Kondo’s insistence on only keeping those that “spark joy.” Can/does a book “spark joy”? Well, […]
5 Ways to Make a Bad Day Better
Have you ever had one of those days where you spill your coffee, nick yourself shaving, or some other little thing? All of a sudden what seemed like a reasonable day is in a ditch, and you’re looking for ways to make a bad day better. Preferably before you end up in a Newton’s Third […]
Back in the Swing of Things
If you’ve caught up with the Project Worthwhile Life, then you’ll know I’m changing direction. Getting back in the swing is more like falling off the swing, hoping there’s a safety net somewhere. Or ricocheting off the roundabout onto a new swing entirely. I’m a bit nervous, and a bit scared, both good things to be […]
Alexandria’s Adventure in Morning Routine
Following my brush with the collapse of control, I have been noticing a lot of chat about “morning routine” in my podcasts and webinars lately, and there has been one thing that stood out for me. No one agrees on why you have a morning routine, but they all think it’s critical to use one: Craig […]
Take a Little Time-out Competition Winner
Thank you all for visiting my site during the little things blog hop, it was a pleasure to meet so many new people. And now it’s time to announce the Take a Little Time-out Competition Winner. I was so interested to read what people wrote and commented on about the little things in life across the […]