How do you take time to smell the roses?
Photo by Joe Penniston
In the last few weeks, my roses have been blooming like crazy in a riot of color. I wish I could take credit for how well they’re thriving, but it’s my husband who prunes and cares for them. While I will occasionally go out and cut some roses to brighten up the house, I only really see the blooming things as I am dashing in and out of the house going to and from work. One day last week, my husband filled the front passenger seat of my car with roses from our garden, and I decided to share them with my fellow Yahoos. I was shocked at how much a small rose could brighten someone’s day!
This made me think about the whole “Take time to stop and smell the roses” saying. Despite how busy we are, moment to moment, there is always time to pause, reflect, and appreciate some of the scenery around us or a quiet moment. I’ve been trying to incorporate mindfulness practices into my daily life, and pausing for a moment to take a deep breath and enjoy the landscaping works well towards that goal. With the start of the new school year, and fall bringing shorter days, I think it’s especially important to add balance to our to-do list with a few tasks that feed our souls. For example, when I make my morning coffee, I take a moment to smell the grounds, and since I use a French press, I look forward to depressing the plunger, feeling the resistance of the coffee, and watching the brewing in action. Small things that give you a little mini-break can make a big difference in your day.
When studying, taking regular breaks can actually help with content retention. I set a timer (many cell phones come with them), and do 45 minutes of a task, then get up and get a glass of water, a snack, or do a couple of yoga sun salutations. Regular breaks aren’t limited to students- -FlyLady recommends tackling large household tasks in 15 minute increments with the aid of a kitchen timer, to break up seemingly monumental efforts into something more manageable.
How do you find time to balance chores and leisure?
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I love stepping into my yard in the mornings and tending things a bit, feeding the dog and cat. Not to sound too “mushy” but I love looking at my kids and mentally stepping back to notice how much they are growing and looking for the bright sparkle in their eyes even when I don’t get their humor or relate to the song they’re sharing with me. I used to have a list up in my laundry room that I got in an email that said things like: “Thank you for all this laundry, it means we have clothes to wear.” Or, “Thank you for these dirty dishes, it means we have plenty of food to eat.” So I guess gratitude is the biggie for me to smelling the roses. Noticing the gifts in my every day life.
I love that you brought roses to your fellow Yahoos. It’s such a great idea, seems so simple and easy but so generous and thoughtful. Nice thoughts, nice post. Thanks!
that was so interasting i think u will get an A!!!!!!!!!!1
I loved this posting and the truth that is expressing.
Fly Lady rocks, doesn’t she?
I like to watch my cat in the garden. His natural instinct kicks in as he stalks the 1/2 his size squirrels. I only hear the rodentia species get noisy after his many, many failed attempts, but it is like is like Serengeti theater out there. Time is made on lunch and after employment. Days are fading, so are these times.
I’m glad Yahoo is not in charge of nature, otherwise, nature will change suddenly each time and sometimes down for maintenance.
wake up in the morning : “hey where is the flowers? ”
“sorry, we are doing maintenance.”
You’ve got some talent there keep up the great work.
When I take trips or even when I don’t, I like to drive down roads I’ve never been on before and see what’s there. I usually have my camera with me so I can take lots of pictures. I’ve found spots of interest and historical markers I didn’t know existed, and I’ve gotten some very pretty photos too. Makes me more glad to live where I do.
I don’t have actual roses , but figureatively speaking , when I see elderly people , I go up to them and strike up a conversation . And believe me that is just like giving them roses . Tony D’Angelo
Sometimes , when I see elderly people sitting alone I will go up to them and hum an old tune like ” I wonder whos kissing her now ” and you can see from th smiles on their faces , It’s just like I gave them roses .
I “stop and smell the roses” by taking the backroads to and from work. I could take the highway and be with all the other cars, but I extend my communte by about 10 minutes this way. I live in Massachusetts, with the leaves are starting to change driving through beautiful, historic towns such as Concord and Bedford lets me take things in a lot more than pulling out my hair on RT 95.
I love this. I never thought about how busy I really was until I was homebound with a bad cold for the past 2 days. I actually had time to rest. I mean, I got to sleep at night, but I don’t get to REST. I watched a few movies, flipped through some photo albums, I TALKED to my mommy.When I came back to work today I felt so rejuvinated! It feels good to relax and enjoy whats around you for a while.
her ein the hood we have no roses, so we must improvise. Thougfh somehow stopping to smell the roaches seems a bit of a let down
I love to smell roses.
Since I am disabiled I think of the things I still have to do. Thank-you for the advise. I like my lawn. I think of all the things I can put on it to make it super pretty. Someday I’ll be able to put all of them on there when I have the extra money. I’ll work on it more at this time at 15 minutes a day. Thank-you, Truly, Susan D. S.
No matter how busy the day, I always take time to go for a couple of walks with the dog.
Take the leash off the hook, hold it up, say “You want to – ?”, and a furry whirlwind does his happy dance by the door.
That kind of joy is contagious.
I like that about the roses. keep it comming
i love the smell of grass being cut, and it makes me happy am able to enjoy the sweet smell!
Life is precious and short. It’s a shame that almost the entire human race are caught up in a very different race, the rat race. This world is filled with wonder and if we all just paused and took some time out of the rat race to reflect on what life’s supposed to be about then the world would be such a happy place. We weren’t put on this earth to work, work, work. We were put on the earth to live!
I literally stop and smell the roses every day.
My husband and I have a daily ritual of walking around our yard every day together. We live in a large city and our yard is very small but I’ve planted flowers everywhere. Our flowers include 27 roses.
We slowly walk to every plant in the yard and see how it’s growing. We smell the flowers. We see the butterflies and odd-looking insects. We’re together when we see the bulbs in the spring and the autumn colors in the fall.
Our walks aren’t especially long but it’s a time we make to be together and share the beauty. No matter how hard the work day seems, it’s nice to know that soon it will be “time to look at the flowers”.
it takes 2 minutes
I loved your message. I look at the children or my husband and say to myself, “Remember this moment.” We can not take those we love or the beauty of nature around us for granted. I keep my camera with me always. A few months back I got a picture of a baby calf in the pasture who had been born moments before…not yet licked clean by its mother.Last month it was a beautiful sailboat on the ocean, and yesterday, a beautiful butterfly on the brightly colored zinnias in our garden. Best of all, the feeling I get when I see our children with their grandparents and capture it forever with my camera. Thank you for your thoughtful message.
wonderful @ roses i have a longhaired dachschund and i just love to watch her sleep or do the simple things in life
Flower is beautiful symbol, no doubt, i love it
here is my advice you just put your face over the rose and take a min and smell it
I have 3 pets, indoors and out.
One of my favorite things to do in the morning, is after feeding the animals, to just sit on the porch with my hot coffee, and listen to the birds sing. It is so peaceful, and the birds singing adds that “something special” to my day.
A lovely thought, a lovely gesture by your husband. Thanks for sharing
pretty flowers is that u
I’m allergic to Roses
I watch my old dog. He is a mix basset and lab. Points like a dream and has the unrelenting determination of a basset. He is a most gentle creature. And timid.
He loves to chase anything that will run from him. If they don’t run, but walk, he will stalk them step by step. Cats are his favorite. If they would turn and attempt to be friendly, he would cuddle them but they don’t trust him. If they charge or turn and hiss at him, he goes the other way! Like I said, he’s timid (coward). And he is ten times their weight.
It is a joy to watch him work and when successful, comes running on his short stubby legs, tossing his head as his tongue lolls out and his body in one violent wiggling motion. His sad brown eyes all aglow with supreme joy. Once more, he is the master of his realm and has successfully vanquished an errant trespasser.
I really enjoyed your comment, we need more of this sort of thoughts, it is good for the soul. Remember too, that it only takes a moment to reflect and it is oh so worth it. Thanks again
Hello Karla Just sending you some flower you might LOVE to smell…Please read the message…I have and am meditating on it…I think it’s something good for me…Take care…Jimmy.
I don’t have the most beautiful yard in the neighborhood, but profesionally landscaped and not offensive. My nextdoor neighbor, however is an aboulute green thumb! I live in the city in St. Louis and can sit on the back porch an admire her hard work anytime. So thanks neighbor for your beautiful garden! If you think it’s great to look at from your own porch you should see it from mine! Love ya hard working gardners.