I want to listen to Celtic, fantasy, or meditation style music for at least 30 minutes every day. While I check my emails, do my banking, tidy the house, or write an entry for Her Writing Desk. This sort of music has immense power over me. It inspires me to relax, to be happy, and to be creative. And these three things are not easy for me to achieve. If you hadn't already guessed, I am listening to this music right now - which is why I am posting instead of rewriting my class notes, doing my homework, sending emails, working on my internship, organizing the never-ending list of things to do for the planning of our next big event, or doing my dishes. I especially enjoy this music to be very quiet. Not because it is more soothing when at a low level than if I were to blast it at full volume (though this is also very true - the time for blasting the Top 40 is during cleaning days, not for relaxing), but because I associate quiet music and inaudible words with an insignificant yet memorable time of my childhood.
When I was younger I would spend some early mornings at my cousin's house. These were generally days when my dad had to go to work, and therefore I would be dropped off very early. If it was a weekend, both my cousin and my aunt would often times still be in bed, sleeping. So I would be set up in front of the television, with the volume down very low, so that my aunt and cousin would not be bothered. I would then sit on the couch and let my mind wander as the sounds of Baby Looney Tunes served as my company. Those mornings were special to me, even then, because I have always had a special relationship with solitude and quiet. Now, when I am alone and I listen to the television or music at a very low volume, my mind is put at peace.
Something else I want to do on a daily basis is use Jergens' original scent hand lotion. Not long ago I decided to buy this lotion because I remembered that it was the one my grandma uses, and I have always loved the smell. The cherry almond scent (I swear, Jergens is the only lotion brand whose original scent is different from every other original lotion scent) is a distinct part of my grandma. When I would visit her very early or stay the night, she would always smell of this lotion because she puts it on each night before going to bed. As my dad, and grandma, always told me at bedtime: brushyourteethblowyournosegetyourdrinkgopeegetyourhandlotionandgettobed. I knew that this smell was incredibly nostalgic for me, but what I didn't know was that when I would begin to put it on myself before going to bed, it would put me in such a comfortable, relaxed state that I would sleep better just from the lotion. When I put it on any time of day at all, the scent reminds me to relax, be comfortable, and wash your hands before you sit down at the table.
The third thing I would like to do every day is drink tea. I shouldn't need to explain why I want to drink tea every day - it's tea. There is no reason not to drink tea every day, and so many reasons to drink tea every day. Admittedly, I haven't had tea yet today, but maybe I will make some after I finish this post. No promises.
Smile at a stranger. This one sounds a bit out of place, or even cliche, but I do try to smile at strangers that I pass, because not only does it benefit others, it benefits myself. I could go into the obvious spiel about how smiles are contagious, and that smiling is healthy for you, and that just one smile from you can make another person's entire day. But what I really hope to achieve with this is a reminder to myself to remain confident. When I was young my dad always told me to stop looking at the ground, and to look people in the eyes when I saw them, and to smile at them. When he told me this I thought he was downright insane; if I smile at people I don't even know, they'll think I'm weird, or creepy, or lost. But he challenged me to try, and I did. It wasn't weird or creepy - as a matter of fact, people smile back. To know that people I don't even know will give me a smile if I give them one is a reminder that I'm not alone, I'm not strange, I'm not creepy, and neither of us are sad, at least for that one moment.
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