Aaah, June! The birds are working hard raising their babies, the bees are ambling around the flower beds humming while they work, and everything is green with energetic growth. What a joy to put my bare feet into the garden soil and plant seeds with the anticipation that they will grow! Do you know, I have gardened for about 25 years and every single year I am shocked and delighted that those seeds always grow?

I know, that is pretty silly. But seriously, Every year!

Those seeds take only a few minutes to plant. The soil only took a bit of preparation. Then I drop in the seeds and…they grow! Guess what else grows like that from small seeds?

Your dream life!

Your dreams and joys can be pursued, you DO have time. There is a little soil prep, and there is some planting…a few minutes at a time. (Don’t tell me you don’t have time, because I bet you spend a few minutes a day or week watching a TV show or scrolling along on Facebook. Surfing Pinterest? Half hour manicures? Somewhere you could probably harvest a few minutes here and there.)

You only need a few minutes!

I challenge you to making a few small, easy changes that might lead you to pursuing the desires of your heart. Don’t argue with me here, somewhere inside of you is that disillusioned, small voice whispering “but this isn’t how I dreamed it would be when I grew up!” so let’s just agree that you could be happier, more joyful, or more true to yourself. Who couldn’t? A few small changes as you go along could make your life richer. I will add a small series of challenges for you to explore and work on. Check in each week for that week’s challenge. Tiny alterations to your life can be very enriching!

Nothing scary!

This week, I want to give a couple small tasks. Ready? Well… Read on anyway.

1) Make a list of your favorite flowers. This is about exploring, learning about yourself. It is also about striving to be the most elegant, whimsical, insightful and soul inspiring YOU. This should take 5 minutes or less. So after you make the list, I want you to go buy flowers this week. You already know about the flowers on your list and now I want to see you add to it. Try out something different. Bird of paradise? Gladiolas? Calla Lillies? Something you don’t usually buy. Put them in your home and really admire them for a few days. Did you decide you loved them? Add them to the list. Were they okay but… not your thing? Next week try another. I want to challenge you to enlarge your palette of flowers; the ones you love and the ones you have TRIED but weren’t in love with. I never thought I’d love bird of paradise so much until last year when I did this, and after a week of looking at them realized I LOVED them. They were so exotic, and elegant!

If you cannot squeeze out much for flowers every week, you are in luck! This is the time of year that every local nursery, even -shudder- Walmart, has yard flowers for only a couple bucks. Try a little $2 Pansy, or Salvia. At the end of the week, plant it. Or give it to a neighbor/co-worker as a small gift to brighten their day!

Flowers make you sneeze, or are just NOT YOUR THING? I want you to find one thing a week that you can use as a centerpiece on your table or a counter from around your home that gives you a little burst of soul quenching joy. One week it may be a child’s first picture, an essay your teenager wrote, a family heirloom or a favorite bobble. Each week, something different. It could even be related to something going on that week. A child’s birthday, a holiday, or a trip you are excited about! The title picture is of a cookie jar I found on EBAY, it was a direct duplicate of one I grew up raiding as a child, and wanted to have that positive memory from my childhood so I overpaid for an exact duplicate of that antique cookie jar. I move it around for fun so I notice it more and enjoy it. This is fun, takes one minute and I notice the things that give me a little smile more often!

Just do it, it will only take a few minutes!

2) I want you to move or rearrange something EVERY day this week in your home.

GASP! WHAT??

Yes, I really want you to do this. Move something onto your table as a centerpiece you don’t usually use. Put something in a new place for a day just to see how it looks. Throw an old quilt over the couch, try a piece of artwork in a new place, take Aunt Sue’s favorite coffee cup that makes you smile and use it as a toothbrush holder so you get to see it a few times a day. Put something in a new place that makes it more convenient or give it a different use. Just be creative! One thing a day. If you love it, you have one new way of doing things when you want a change. If you hate it, put it back and move on to the next day.

WHY would you ask me to do such a thing?

Good question!

I read a while back, that people often get so used to seeing the things they own and treasure, that they almost go blind to them. You don’t really see them anymore. Start moving things around, one a day is plenty. I do this with different things on my table or my Hoosier so I can enjoy my “pretties” and cycle through them any day that there isn’t flowers on my table. Have a china hutch you rarely open? Put something from there on the table! Move things around in your yard or garden? Have a gorgeous little dish you never use? use it as a soap dish this week! Or use it to put your Vegetable brush on next to the sink. Kitchen window sill? Entryway table? Pictures on the wall? This will get your creative juices flowing, and allow you to enjoy your home and cherished belongings in a new, positive way!

You know, this takes one minute a day. ONE MINUTE A DAY! Yet it makes you enjoy all your things that make you happy, that you rarely notice or take out of hiding.

Wait, what if you find something old, worn out or broken? Toss it out!! What happens if you find an item that makes you unhappy? Kept out of guilt, or that triggers sad feelings? Did someone give you something, with strings attached? “You can’t get rid of this one!”

OH PLEASE!

This is a form of manipulation and control. If they gave it to you, it is now yours to keep or pass on, as you choose. Let people know that if they are afraid it will not be available for them to see or visit at your house, they should keep it at their house. Don’t allow yourself to be controlled by anyone. Life should be spent in freedom. (If it is a family heirloom you should probably ask around in the family if anyone wants it before you get rid of it, however.) In the end, if it doesn’t make you happy….

GET RID OF IT!

This is also time where in one minute you can make yourself have a mini burst of sunshine in your life or release yourself from the bondage of some haughty dust-collecting bauble that is fighting for your head space! Banish the little fellow into a donate/yard sale bin! If you cannot be trusted to get rid of it, ask someone else to do it.

There you have it. In one minute a day to move something, or a few minutes a week to choose flowers, you are going to be AMAZED at how fun this is! You will feel creative, you will discover things about yourself, and you will enjoy what you have, but overlook each day. This will make you love your home, and start you on a journey towards discovering what makes you happy so you can experience that more often with little effort!

You might also get rid of a few things and simplify!

Are you ready? Are you excited? It will be fun! I guarantee you will learn something about yourself if you keep going! So make your list, and get creative!