I wanted to write about Play. The Art of Play. Authentic Play for us adult people.

It felt so beyond my day-to-day experience I was afraid it would come across as inauthentic.

So, starting simply, as I remind my clients, I looked at my morning practices. This morning in particular, it included saying good morning to the sunrise and sky, then moving into daily routine of cat care, kitchen cleanup, walking recycling out to the dumpster, making and eating breakfast (today eaten outside in the sun on my back stoop) and checking out the garden.

My garden walk is getting to be more about appreciating the bounty and beauty than noticing what needs to be cleared or worry about the overgrowth of weeds in areas.

Setting up the sprinkler in 3 different places to get the back, side and front yards is the Simple Pleasure that made me smile. Ta-Da! Found my topic for today.

Listening to the water spray and it’s intensity as it winds back to the original spot is soothing. Great background for meditation…which I’ll complete before recording.

What are your Simple Pleasures? Remember the magazine Real Simple? I loved it for many years. The feel of the paper, the odd oversized shape, the beautiful photos and well written articles that spoke my language. Even though I didn’t practice what they wrote about, I longed for “that life.”

Little by little, that magazine has been the foundation for this life of mine today. That and the book, Simple Abundance by Sarah BanBreathnach, were life-changing for me as I dreamed this life into being.

We are doing that all the time. Dreaming our one and only precious life (this time around, anyway) into BEing.

So, how are you practicing Simplicity and enjoying Simple Pleasures? Simple, yet elegant tasty meals? Simple, yet meaningful gatherings with friends? Simple and sacred moments for yourSelf? For me, it’s a cup of coffee, staring at the big oak tree or sky and ruminating about my day before heading into planning or meditation or creating this podcast/newsletter.

This is an essential piece of the puzzle for me to SHINE. It’s also a basic principle for the work I do in Authentic Leadership. We are all meant to be living on Purpose, with Passion and experiencing Pleasure. I actually think it may be the other way around.

Beginning with Pleasure.

What makes your heart sing? Do more of that. Really. We would all love you more. And you would be more in love with yourSelf, your Life.

To learn more about The SHINE Principle, visit http://DeborahLeeAnn.com/Shine or connect with me at deborah@DeborahLeeAnn.com

© 2017 Deborah LeeAnn All Rights Reserved#SHINE