.png)
My Hot Cross Bun feast featuring Nodo's amazing GF Hot Cross Buns!! xx
I am just feeling so incredibly grateful to simply be alive right now. My days are filled with so much joy. I actually feel bursting with joy this week!
Alongside my new mantra:
"I am allowed to be really, really happy - no matter what."
...I have another little resolution that I've been keeping in mind:
"Do what delights you. Dance with delight."
I'm not talking about literal dancing here. But if that is what delight calls for, then sure! I'm talking about choosing to do what delights me in any given moment. It is so easy to fill up your calendar from a place of obligation or meeting the expectations of others. To go through the motions. To operate on auto-pilot without any real conscious thought as to why you're doing what you are in a day. As I mentioned in my "You Are Allowed to Be Happy" post (click here to read), I have found myself withholding joy, as a means of motivation. Saving the joy for a day when I'd feel worthy of it (i.e. after achieving what I deemed to be a worthwhile goal). But since reminding myself that I'm allowed to be happy, I've also reminded myself that I get to have a lot of fun.
I get to do what delights me. What lights me up! I get to play and twirl and laugh and dance and sing and do whatever it is that delights me. There doesn't need to be an agenda. Some strategy or master plan. I'm learning that my life flows best when I toss those things out the window in favour for what delights me. When I am delighted in what I do, I feel magnetic. In doing what lights me up, I feel myself almost literally lighting up! I feel myself glowing with joy. And I know that in being lit up, I naturally can light up the world and those around me too. No get rich quick scheme or fancy marketing plan required to be successful. Living a life that delights me feels really successful to me. When I allow delight to be my motivation. Delight, innocence, honouring playful curiosities.
I love Human Design (listen to my podcast on Human Design here for more). And one of the things that Human Design has taught me, is that we all have different natural motivations in this lifetime. Some humans are motivated by a thirst to 'know' more. To learn and dive deep. Some humans are motivated by a genuine desire to lead. And to desire, full stop! They are motivated by passion. That fire burning deep within their hearts. Others are more naturally motivated by survival instincts. Practicality, efficiency, 'needs'. We are all so different. And for myself, I've learnt that when I am motivated by delight...when I do what I do based on the pure feeling of delight...versus what I think others want from me, what I think will be successful, and so on...when I let my playful mind and imagination lead over my rational thinking brain - I feel totally in alignment. And honestly, everything DOES flow. So naturally. The days when I allow delight to lead the way, are the days when I receive random messages about wonderful new opportunities or have other similar synchronicities pop up. And while it's not all about what comes along whilst living according to the correct motivation for you, the synchronicities are great reminders of alignment. The flow is like a little head nod from the universe for me, reminding me that I am living true to myself.
No matter what motivates you naturally in life - make time for delight. Exercising playfulness and imagination makes the inner child in us sing! It makes the colours around us appear brighter and turns even the most mundane of chores or activities into opportunity. To play, to appreciate, to wonder, to get curious.
To engage in delight means engaging in things for the sheer joy of them. Not because of what others expect of you or what your conditioning causes you to expect of yourself. Delight is simple, beautiful and unique to you. It is wonder-full.
Some examples of things that I have chosen to do out of sheer delight this week:
Eating just hot cross buns all day on Good Friday. And making them extra beautiful by topping them with figs, banana, peanut butter, jam...yum! (Pictured at top of post). I felt like a big happy kid devouring them with a huge smile on my face! And the feast was followed by board games with my family and friends. The perfect day!
Going for runs with the happiest of music playing in my ears (think everything from 'All You Need is Love' by The Beatles to 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA). The energy of joy and delight carries my legs on these kinds of runs! No sense of obligation whatsoever when it comes from delight.
Starting this blog! No particular reason or rhyme for kicking it off; other than the delight that comes with writing and expressing myself. E.g. It was delight that had me jumping out of bed at 5am yesterday to write a blog post!
Delighting in other ways to be creative, and not picking up my guitar or doing much singing. I was genuinely delighted to take a break from both things this week after SO many gigs over the past 5 months. And honouring that impulse without much judgement has been incredible. I feel like I've strengthened the relationship and trust I have with myself and own body by unapologetically doing what my body called for this week.
These are just some of the examples of my dancing with delight this week. And in fact, once I wrap up this blog post, I'll probably have a dance party for one! And then I'm taking myself to Kmart to buy Play Doh. Yes, you read right - Play Doh! I have been having the strongest creative impulse lately to buy one of those Play Doh kits where you get to make pretend donuts and other fun food items. I have my eye on this one below:
Isn't it gorgeous!! I feel so delighted by the thought of playing with all of those colours and making it all look beautiful!! (As a child, I couldn't get enough of crafts and anything artsy.) I am actually unbelievably excited. I'll share some photos with you in a later blog post!!
Do what delights you. Dance with delight.
And have a beautiful Easter long weekend!
Lots of love,
