Welcome to February’s installment of Mel’s Favorite Things. ?
I’m dedicating the last post of each month to share some of my faves, from books to recipes to life hacks and beyond. Basically, if I love it (and think you might, too,) I’m gonna share it here.
This month’s ‘Favorite Things’ topic is near and dear to my heart.
For several years now, I’ve felt increasingly impressed with the importance of incorporating elements of beauty and delight into my daily life.
It began after a conversation with a mentor who asked me what my needs were and, to my total surprise, ‘beauty’ was the answer that came up in my heart. To clarify, when I discovered this ‘beauty’ need, it wasn’t so much about a new hairstyle or makeup supplies (although that is a part of beauty). Rather, it was much deeper than that.
I realized I’d been structuring my life around what was practical and efficient and avoiding what felt—to me at the time—to be frivolous expenses (of time, money, or energy) that I simply couldn’t ‘afford.’
Wow, was I wrong!
As I allowed myself to sit with this newly discovered need, I realized that much of my identity as a women was further empowered when I was in beautiful, inspiring, or otherwise delightful environments. Examples could include nature, worship or prayer, a great meal with friends, or lighting a candle to add some ambience to my home. As I started to pay attention to what left me feeling ‘filled up’ and energized, I began to recognize ways I could intentionally incorporate more of these delightful elements into my life.
I’ve also come to believe that beauty isn’t just a need for random people here and there, on some level it’s a need we all have, especially women.
In fact, I wrote a book (and then a companion workbook) to explore this topic further.
Today’s Favorite Things is actually based on an excerpt from my workbook. It’s a series of questions you can ask yourself to help you determine what’s delightful to you. Better yet, you don’t have to have a big budget or lots of time. You can easily cater to your current season.
Enjoy!
My favorite questions to ask when looking to add beauty and delight to your life! Ask yourself the following:
- What do I enjoy? Engage your 5 senses: taste, smell, sight, sound, touch. This is a great place to start if you’re unsure of what sparks delight for you. (Examples: sunrise (sight), Thai food (taste), cat purring (sound), etc.)
- What character traits are beautiful to me? These are the qualities we adore in others and aspire to embody.
- What types of conversations do I love? This could be topics, the environment the conversation takes place in (examples: around a dinner table, walking through the forest), number of people in a conversation, etc.
- What environments do I thrive in?
- Is there a certain type of outfit or hairstyle that makes me feel pretty? How often do I allow myself to dress this way?
- Where are the blockages around beauty/delight in my life? What excuses do I make for not making this more of a priority? (“I don’t have time,” “I don’t have money to spend on this sort of thing,” “I don’t feel worthy of investing in myself this way” etc.) I’d encourage you to sit with this question for a little while. Seek to understand what’s actually going on. And it’s perfectly okay to say, “I just don’t care about this right now.” There’s no pressure here, only suggestions. ?
- What’s one small thing I will do this coming week to add beauty and delight to my days? (Examples: “I’ll light a candle while I’m making my morning coffee” or “I’m going to journal out three things I’m grateful for before going to bed.”)
If you’d like to dive deeper into the topic of beauty, delight, your feminine identity, and how these things link us to our greater purpose on earth, I’d love to invite you to check out my book or workbook. You can also buy both as a package if you want to save $$.
I’m happy to send them anywhere in the world (reach out to me personally if you’re outside the USA so we can figure out shipping.) I’ve also sent several copies to a family member in Australia so if you’re in the South Pacific, we might be able to arrange shipping to you from Australia.
Here’s to a delightful life! ?
