Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Celebrate Spring: Embrace the Unfamiliar



With Spring officially in office, I'm thinking it's high time to burst out of those comfortable winter cocoons and try out our wings with something new and sprightly.

It's about jostling our senses into noticing again. Letting our emotions feel something fresh. Giving our minds a new pattern to puzzle out. Mostly, it's about getting out of the rut.

Today I'm inviting you to enjoy the simple pleasure of 'embracing the unfamiliar'. Put aside some of the usual routines and choices and, without thinking about it too much, just reach out and do something that's different today....
Don't study the menu, just close your eyes and point; select something you've never tried before. It might just be the kick start to something wonderful.  And even if it isn't, well, that's okay, isn't it?
Don't reach for your favorite mug, author, shoes, or earrings. Choose something you haven't noticed or read or worn for awhile. Notice it afresh.
Don't drive the same route you usually take to get to work or the grocery story. Turn a block earlier or later. Take a small detour. Pay attention to what you see on this new path.

Don't call your mom or your best friend to chat about the same things you usually do. Introduce something new; ask a question about what she likes about Spring, what she did as a child when Spring arrived.

Don't go to the gym if that's what you usually do; instead, go for a walk in your neighborhood and notice the seasonal changes.
Don't sit in your favorite chair when you read or watch TV. Pick a spot elsewhere in the room. Look around you from that vantage point of your home. Maybe you'll see something that should be fixed or moved or thrown out. Maybe you'll discover a new place to read on a sunny afternoon or find 50 cents under the cushion on that sofa.
Don't listen to the usual radio station or music group. Choose a genre that's totally opposite from your usual favorites.
Don't choose the same bath oil scent when you go shopping. Select a fragrance that isn't familiar.

Will you embrace the unfamiliar and jostle your senses into a Spring dance today?

Wishing you a beautiful day...
Brenda
xox


24 comments:

  1. There must be a curious synchronicity blowing through these days because I have been gathering ideas to create a post very similar to yours. Funny how that works.

    I love this - switch it up, do something different!

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  2. Isn't that amazing? I find that it works so often. I'll be stopping by to see your own ideas....

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  3. fun ideas, I'm doing different things with my grand daughters...while they are visiting. Like playing croquet!

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  4. Great advice. We've been trying some new things lately, too.

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  5. I like to go for walks and see new signs of Spring! See my blog for what I discovered today.

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  6. Interesting. I usually find that there's a perfectly good and logical reason for doing things as I do. Hmpffftttt...spoken like a true-stick-in-the-mud. Ha!

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  7. Yikes! I'm not sure I'm up for the restaurant one! Fun post!

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  8. It is funny how we are all creatures of habit. I think this is a great idea, it does us good to shake things up once in a while.

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  9. What a refreshing post, Brenda. I find that having children (in particular, four sons) helps keep me from getting in too much of a rut. There's always some little crime, misdemeanor, or new prank to uncover and address. :):)

    As my husband and I tell each other, "We can't pay to be bored."

    Waving and grinning,

    Rhonda

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  10. Hi Brenda, what a lovely thought! It is nice to break out of the routine once in awhile and look at the world anew. I too enjoy listening to new music now and again and trying new foods. I also like trying on clothes and colors that I might not normally choose. Have a wonderful day ahead! With Love, Delisa :)

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  11. I'm on vacation - so these days I'm embracing and ENJOYING a totally different schedule (although we HAVE been waking up about the same time and going through our morning routine of journaling, Bible study, and coffee). Hmmmmmmmm. Wondering how/if I can/should alter that...

    The scenery here is definitely different! And I enjoy eating at unfamiliar restaurants and selecting unfamiliar items to try...

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  12. I didn't use to switch things up. Lately, it has been the thing to do.

    Love how you come up with these fun ideas.

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  13. A great post with wonderful ideas! I'd like to try some of these!

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  14. Hello Brenda, Nice to meet you. I have to hop back to Delisa's to see what you wrote for me, but decided to come visit you first! This is truly an amazing serendipitous meeting of minds. My favorite expression lately is "let's mix it up"! When I walk, I change where I go, in the car, I am always going different ways. To put it simply, I get "bored" easily as there is just too much beauty, too much learning that could take place by staying in a rut. You are so right, Spring is the perfection time to freshen one's rituals with tiny new perks! So glad we met through Delisa. May your day be blessed.

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  15. Ok, here I am again, hehe. I went back to Delisa's and read your comment and decided to hop back here and comment a bit more. A GIFT OF THE SEA is timeless. The world has changed so much especially for women and also on the technology level, yet her book speaks to a women today as if written just for today's hectic world. Amazing. You mention Victoria magazine/books. There is a Book by Victoria about a women's center....I cannot locate it and my grandson plays baseball tonight so I have to leave shortly. Also A YEAR BY THE SEA by Joan Anderson, plus the other 3 books in the series is also excellent. Just some of my favorites. Again, blessings!

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  16. Brenda - I just happened to be listening to my son's Pandora station when I read your blog and found I actually liked the music! I agree - it enriches our lives to step outside of our little worlds once in awhile.
    Blessings!

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  17. Sticking to the Well-Educated Mind classic book list is continually taking me into unfamiliar turf. I am reading things I probably wouldn't choose on my own and my heart and mind is being stretched as a result.

    Good challenge Brenda. I will keep it in mind today!

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  18. Those are great ideas, Brenda. With the weather being warmer, I have been walking more and venturing down a new road every so often.

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  19. This is a great idea. I tries bits of broccoli in a salad and loved it. Guess what? I hate broccoli. But I loved it fresh in a salad. You are so right on with this.

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  20. With spring in the air I'll be doing this again. Having dealt with illness the last 5 months since our move, have kept us pretty much on a routine. Thought I had to go shopping for an outfit for an upcoming event, but reached further into the closet and found the perfect one!

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  21. Spring Greetings, Dear Brenda!
    As always, such beautiful advice...
    Linda at Beautiful Ideas

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  22. Spring Greetings, Dear Brenda!
    As always, such beautiful advice...
    Linda at Beautiful Ideas

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  23. Interesting ideas. It will be fun trying them out. :)

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To My Beautiful Readers,

Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same. ~ Franz Peter Schubert

Thank you so much for leaving your 'footprint' here in my comment box. I do appreciate you taking a moment to share your thoughts today.

Brenda xo