Ahhh the ease of Serenity Week!

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SERENITY - the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; composure, peacefulness, peace.

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I am beginning to think that I should have listened to my heart when I felt it calling for Serenity week last week. This week would have been very well suited for whimsy week since I am getting the fabulous opportunity to visit hundreds of creative and whimsical blogs!. Thank you so much all you inspiring Magic Carpet participants. My blog isn't  about  my art but visiting all the fabulous magic carpet blogs makes me want to get my crafty game on! I actually bought some stamps and plan on making some handmade valentines with Jessie. Now I'm not expecting an almost 3 year old and I to come up with anything nearly as exciting as I've seen on the blogs I've visited but who knows we just might get hooked! Jessie has already been inspired by art I have visited during my project so I'm expecting some fun results!

Anyway, I digress! My topic at hand is serenity. I selected it as a distinction of bliss because I have felt entirely blissful during serene moments. Looking at a beautiful vista, catching the quiet of first light, holding hands with my sweetie not needing to say a word, or watching Jessie as she sleeps are all restorative as well as blissful. If you are a follower of my blog, you may remember how I have been trying, rather unsuccessfully to incorporate a morning ritual of solitude. I did manage to do it for three days as part of my creativity exercise with "The Creativity Book:" by Eric Maisel but still it looms as an item unaccomplished. I have managed to carve out a few minutes for myself weekday mornings ever since I declared I would be writing a book but the ritual is still not happening. I'm not giving up on it but for what ever reason, I am not ready for it so rather then making myself continually wrong about it I will just give myself the space to let it be. Ahhhh. That feels more peaceful already. When I am ready I can consider it again. Until then I will look at other initiatives to inject more serenity into my life!

This week's  "Bliss Initiatives," are color coded in purple for quick identification. They are specific things that you too can try, if you want to play along with me.  However, because as Earl Nightingale says, "you become what you think about,"  even if you only follow along,  and never take on any of the bliss initiatives,  I expect some positive results. I will be exploring and encouraging SERENITY this way:

• Pause 1-2-3 experiment. I am revisiting this idea from last serenity week. This week when I feel myself start to react to something I am going to take a pause and count to three. Jessie can only benefit from having a mommy who can do this as a habit!  A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. - Proverbs 15:1(NIV) How many times a day do I react before pausing? I have no idea, but if I can stop even a few I am certain I can foster a bit more serenity in the process!

• Serenity Study - I will take time to look for serene images. Finding and having an arsenal of images that encourage me to breath deeply will definitely make serenity a bit more attainable. Last serenity week I was particularly inspired by this photograph:

Island by Michael Dreese

• Meditative Study -  Last Serenity week I had the lofty ambition of adding some type of meditative practice to my routine. I would love to put it on here as a bliss initiative  with the expectation of actually doing it but I know myself better then that and I don't want to make myself wrong on another front! Wow that IS progress already! Instead of forcing a practice I will spend some time researching different meditative practices. I have no expectation of adopting any new behaviors, even so learning more about them should add some serenity to my life!

• Serenity field trip. I will take time this week, on at least two occasions to spend some time in nature. Jessie and I can walk through a park or we can take a little hike together as a family. Nature is serenity's greatest teacher and advocate, I plan to learn from her.

Next Post: Serenity Study

My 13 bliss virtues: joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, surprise