Beautiful imperfections

November 27, 2017November 26, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / 2 Comments

When was the last time you really looked closely at what is around you? Most of the time I am completely on auto-pilot, rushing to and from work, completely stuck in my head thinking about all the things I need to do or annoyed at the rain pouring down…

On Saturday morning, I took the opportunity of a ray of sunshine to go for a walk in the neighbourhood and consciously really looked at buildings, bikes, dogs, plants as I passed them. I started to notice tiny details. As autumn comes to an end, some plants are valiantly holding on to their last threads of life.

I was so happy to observe the plants on my way and focus on the beauty in their imperfections: slightly bruised and fading petals, leaves drying into brilliant reds, gorgeous lace-like patterns… It is the perfect trick for getting out of my whirling thoughts and truly being in the moment:)

Sunday bike ride

October 30, 2017October 29, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / Leave a comment

I’ve been craving nature recently, wanting to hear branches of large trees swaying in the wind and to smell the rich odors of humid leaves on the forest floor. At the same time, my energy levels felt low and the thought of catching a train all the way to a place where we could hike just didn’t appeal to me. So we found an in-between solution, closer to home.

Paolo and I simply wrapped up warmly and headed off on our bikes with no clear direction in mind. After a few random raindrops, the sun came out in earnest as we pedalled away, turning arbitrarily right or left, along roads we’d never been on. It was windy and for most of the ride we could hear the noisy highway, but it was still really lovely to get some fresh air, watch birds on the lake and look at the gorgeous autumn colours:)

Autumn colours

November 11, 2016January 22, 2017 / cultivatingjoy / 1 Comment

JOYFUL GRATITUDE #2

I think autumn colours were created just to distract us from the fact that the days are getting shorter and it’s colder and rainier outside. I love seeing how the leaves change colour!

Those red leaves are real!! I admired them in the Japanese garden in the Leiden botanical garden last weekend. Imagine if that species of tree were planted all around our cities:) It would be so beautiful in November! I think urban planners should consider such things… maybe an alternative career plan;)