Here we are are getting closer and closer to the end of another summer season1—often a time of either trying to squish in all the summer things you haven’t gotten to yet in tandem with back to school shopping and open houses and harvesting the garden before it freezes2 ….or just coasting and savoring life until the weather changes.3
It can be a busy time of year. So this isn’t going to be a list of things I think you should overhaul or add to your ever-growing list as the seasons shift. Rather, it’s a list of tiny things that I’ve found helpful in staying true to my roots and grounded in what actually matters to me [when I practice what I preach, which, of course, is not all the time]. As
and I do in 12 Tiny Things the book, I’d invite you to try these on as you like, keep what fits, and set aside what doesn’t.4 Mix and match to identify the combination of small, intentional acts that work for you. There’s no one size fits all when it comes to intentional living. There’s just what fits for you as we move into whatever’s coming next.Practice consent. This means giving a hearty yes when you feel called toward something. This also means saying a firm no to that which isn’t yours, to that which you don’t want, and to that which you’re ready to let go. The tiny thing: Set [and honor] at least one life-giving boundary.
Be where you are. At least some of the time — planning ahead and reflecting on what’s already happened is an important part of a full life for most, but a great many of us spend more time in the past and future than we do in the present. Since the present is where life unfolds, it makes sense to be there more often than not. The tiny thing: Press pause and notice your physical surroundings with all of your senses for 60 seconds. Repeat as is useful.
Notice your attention, and where it goes. This is a lot like #2 of course, but it’s important enough to say it in more than one way. What gets attention tends to grow, so ensure you’re helping the good stuff thrive. The tiny thing: Take one deep breath, and pay attention to how the air fills you up on the inhale5 and follow it as it leaves your body when you breathe out.
Savor. Be it food, cold water, or a decadent dessert, engage in mindfulness when doing so is possible. Appreciate fully where your nourishment comes from and delight in how truly enjoying it makes you feel. The tiny thing: Experience eating/drinking with your whole self.
Get comfortable. That is to say, wear clothes that fit well and shoes that support your movement. Align your daily activities with what’s important to you, and make sure you’re setting yourself up for feeling your best while doing it. The tiny thing[s]: Donate any clothes or shoes6 that don’t feel good when you wear them and spend at least a portion of each day wrapped in something comfortable.
Opt Outside. Spend more time outside that you think you should soaking up natural light7 and fresh air. Time in nature is healing, and even in the city, wildness is accessible by looking up at the sky. The tiny thing: Go outside and look all the way up.
Write with a pen or pencil or bit of charcoal or anything else that makes a mark and requires you to hold it between your fingers. Digital technology and communication is fantastic, don’t get me wrong. Yet so is the act of putting pen to paper and crafting a physical message to somebody you care about, or noting the things that went on during the day just for you in a journal. The tiny thing: Write a letter or jot in a journal or draw something. Reawaken your handwriting muscles.
Be on the lookout for astonishment. Be it gratitude for home, family, friends, pets, health, enough food on the table, whatever the case may be…notice those little bits of good and let yourself be surprised by the power of thankfulness. The tiny thing: Name something that’s good about life right now, even if it sits right next to something that you wouldn’t have chosen.
Explore pleasure. From sensation to scent, see if you can identify what your physical body truly likes. Then give yourself the gift of experiencing it at the intervals that work best for you. The tiny thing: Make a list of things that make you feel good. Do one of them.
Try something new. Get out drawing pencils, mixing bowls, an old guitar or clarinet, and bring a new bit of art into being. Plant some heirloom seeds, mow spirals in the yard, make a collage of fallen leaves, build a bird house. The possibilities are endless because a human can only truly be really good at a limited number of things. The tiny thing: Exercise your creativity in a medium that’s new to you. Even if you’re very bad at it.
Read. Expand your mind, learn, grow. Deepen your knowledge on something. The tiny thing: Find a book on your shelf you’ve been meaning to get to. Read the first chapter. (Repeat with all chapters at the pace that works for you. Audio books are just fine, too, if they are more your thing.)
Reach out. To a neighbor you don’t know well, an old friend you haven’t seen in years, your kid’s friend’s mom, an elder at church or synagogue or mosque or temple or meditation center. Extend yourself to another and accept whatever is returned. The tiny thing: Ask someone how they are doing and really listen to the answer. Tell the truth when someone asks you.
What’s on your list?
at least where I’m at in Minnesota, USA
Sometimes it freezes as early as Sept. 15 where I’m at, so there could be just three weeks left. And then some years it doesn’t freeze until mid October. These days there’s just no predicting it.
This is uncommon and I don’t actually know anyone who actually does this. However, given my recent arm surgery, I’m going to do my best to see what this option is like.
(If you’ve read 12 Tiny Things, you’ll find this list is based on the themes found in its pages.)
See if you can get that air all the way down to your belly, especially if your air tends to get stuck up in the chest.
One summer I got these cute and cheap slip ons and wore them constantly in the garden. The catch was that they didn’t fit quite right, rubbed the side of my foot funny, and left me with terrible callouses. Throwing them out [they were way too dirty/worn to donate] was the best thing I did for my comfort that season.
Avoid hanging out for extended periods in direct sunlight on high UV days and between 10 and 4 if you can. Hats, sunscreen, shade….if doing so helps you avoid having a melanoma cut out of your arm, it’s well worth it. There are lots of ways to enjoy the outdoors w/out being in the direct sunlight in the middle of the day.
I appreciated this post, Heidi. Thank you!