Tree Joy

Enjoying coffee with a friend. Seeing the sun shine. Making cookies with my mom. 

Each of these experiences brought a smile to my face and sparked warmth in my heart. They didn’t have to be elaborate, extraordinary, or showy to do so- goodness the sun shines every day somewhere, coffee can be bought at anytime, and quite frankly the kitchen counter gets pretty messy when cookies are made at my house. No, these are not the flamboyant parts of life, these are the simple things. They are sprinkles of peace, pleasure, and joy that God chooses to bless us with. And the best part is, sometimes they are so ordinary we don’t even see them coming, and the randomness of these events makes them all the more enjoyable. Sometimes we have to sit back with a hot cup of chai tea and reflect on the experience to realize how much joy we actually received from it.

I think so many times in life we wait, hope for, and expect something grand and magnificent to grab our attention and whisk us away in the oblivion of ultimate happiness. And in the midst of all these high hopes and expectations, we miss these little bite-sized bits of happiness that God gives us each day. 

Example: Today it is cold, wet, dreary and Monday. I am expecting something striking to make my day but there is no big event going on, no special food in the cafeteria, nothing impressive to differentiate this Monday from any other Monday. Except for a tree. I look out the window (checking to see if it’s a total downpour or a dainty drizzle) and I see it. It’s been there all year, but something about this time of year makes it stand out, especially today. I have deemed it the perfect fall tree- at least until it changes. It has the perfect combination green, orange, yellow and red leaves on it and makes the other trees beside it pale in comparison. A little while later the sun peaks out and gives the tree an iridescent golden shimmer which makes it all the more beautiful. Simply beholding this tree and its colors gave me joy on this dreary Monday.

We miss simple things like this because we are looking for something greater. Sometimes we forget the simple things can be great too! I challenge you to reflect on this day and look for something small that made you happy, something little that made you smile. Hopefully you’ll discover the joy of the little blessings God places in your path!    

A Controlled Chaos

Ask me how I felt a week ago and I would have said busy.

But implied by that word busy, was the word overwhelmed. Yes, I was going to be busy working, studying for tests, writing papers, throwing a social life somewhere in there and going to a family reunion, but I did not mean the good busy feeling.

Response A:

Busy: If I had truly felt a good busy feeling, I would have embraced it by saying, “I am busy. I have this and that to do and then I’m going there for this and what am I still doing here? I’ll catch you later after this happens tonight!”

Response B:

Overwhelmed Busy: Instead, I responded with, sigh, “uh, busy? I have a lot going on and no time to do any of it” as I gloomily stalked away.

What is difference between these two responses?

Control.

Response A, stemmed from a sense of control. While there may have been a lot to do in those few days, response A would have indicated I did not feel overwhelmed because I knew I had it under control, was not worried, and knew it would all work out in the end. Response B indicated a lack of control; I felt things were out of my hands and there wasn’t much I could do about the situation. It also showed the lack of confidence I had in my ability to get things done and in outcomes of those situations.

Looking back on the week, after everything had finally been accomplished, I decided to see what could have made me I respond the way I did. What was it that made me feel as though I had no control? Some factors that may have contributed to this feeling included being unable to ask for help, taking on too many things at once, trying to constantly please others, extreme competitiveness, or ineffective time management. In preparation for the upcoming week, I have a much more positive outlook because after looking at what I have to accomplish, I have made some adjustments to avoid feeling overwhelmed. I have given myself more control over certain situations by saying no, and by trying to plan my days so everything doesn’t pile up on one particular day. 

Ask me how I’m feeling about week and I’ll say confident!

Picture obtained from: www.stacksandstacks.com      

Immersed in Color

Happiness, anger, peace, danger, fear, energy, and love can all be found in seven letters: ROYGBIV

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet

Each of these colors elicits a certain response which may be expressed consciously or subconsciously. Color can easily affect your mood and emotions. Ever feel antsy when you step into a room? Do you notice your blood pressure rise when surrounded by a particular color? Of course there can be personal reasons tied into your response to a color, but overall people have similar reactions to colors. Ancient Egyptians realized this and tried to harness the healing power of color by using chromotherapy to heal various ailments. Here are some examples of various colors that were used to enhance health:

·         Red: increase circulation

·         Orange: healing of the lungs and increase energy

·         Blue: alleviate pain

·         Indigo: treat skin ailments  

Today, most psychologists would say that color therapy has little significance or actual healing effects, but would agree that each color is able to draw out various moods, feelings, or associations. Below is a list of colors and various concepts and sensations they can elicit. 

Red:

~Attracts attention

~Creates feelings of intensity

~Can increase blood pressure

~Is associated with life and excitement

Orange:

~Related to a fresh new day

~An ostentatious and ambitious color

~Draws attention

~Is associated with energy, fun, and warmth

Yellow:

~Releases serration (a feel-good hormone)

~Can enhance concentration

~Tends to make babies cry more often and disagreements to rise

~Is associated with the sun, cheerfulness, happiness, and optimism

Green:

~Pleasant to the senses

~Also a calming color

~Traditional color of peace

~Is associated with wealth, nature, envy, harmony and masculinity

Blue:

~Majority of people’s favorite color

~Produces a calming effect

~Some shades may imply indifference

~Is associated with dependability and loyalty

Purple:

~Is uplifting

~Is a mix between a stimulating and calm color so it can cause unrest

~Can come across as fake because it is not frequently found in nature

~Is associated with prosperity, wisdom, and spirituality

Most of the time we don't even think about the affect colors can have. Knowing what is associated with each color can help you determine what type of message you want to send to your future employer, how to grab consumers’ attention so they buy your next book, or what color to paint your child’s room. The next time you go into a store or purchase a product, keep in mind how colors may shape your decision. Did the color of the yellow walls change your mood? Did you purchase the product because the red label caught your attention? I’d love to hear your stories on how you think color has influenced you!

Picture obtained from: http://nightmaremode.net/2011/07/dreaming-in-color-omnitopic-roundup-6701/