On Day 8 of my challenge to celebrate the magic of life every single day (read about the inspiration behind it here), I indulged my creativity and experimented with designs for a very special necklace I am making for myself. I temporarily got lost in a world of crystals, one of my favourite places to be!
A few months ago I’d bought some spectacular rainbow moonstone, labradorite and amethyst cabochons with an idea in mind of what I would make. I’d put them aside and nearly forgotten all about it until this week. This challenge has been such a blessing, as it has encouraged me to do things I probably wouldn’t have got around to for a long time otherwise. It has already enriched my life in so many ways.
I had sketched out some designs a little while ago, but didn’t have them with me today, so I spent time arranging the crystals into mini mandalas. As this is a completely new design and technique, I need to practise on some less precious gems before making the pendant. This meant today was even more enjoyable as I just did the fun part of creating beautiful patterns with the crystals, without the tricky part of learning a new skill!
I enjoyed photographing the gemstones almost as much as I enjoyed arranging them, as it was enchanting to study the way they caught the light. Challenging myself to celebrate the magical aspects of life every day has taught me to slow down and appreciate things I would normally rush through. The emphasis was taken off completing the necklace which allowed me to relish the process.
How can a celebratory mindset allow you to appreciate the small but beautiful things in life more? I would love to hear your thoughts on this or anything related in the comments below 🙂
I have celebrated life every day for a week now! Read how this challenge started here. It was great to finish the week with something as epic as the famous starling murmuration at Ham Wall nature reserve in Somerset.
It was so dark and gloomy today, but here is a video from earlier in the year to give you an idea of the scale of it.
I got a closer view of the birds today as they fluttered and swooped over my head in gigantic clouds. Most of my pictures were a blur, or too dark to see anything, but this meant I was free to witness the magic without any distractions.
The sight and sound of them whooshing through the air was utterly mesmerising, and I was so absorbed in the experience that I felt like I could take flight at any moment! At one point they were only a couple of meters from my head, thousands of birds flying by in perfect synchronisation. I had the biggest smile on my face, and felt so lucky to be there for this amazing event.
Even without the starlings the nature reserve is beautiful peaceful place, overflowing with abundant life. After they had settled down I took some time to gaze across the water and soak up the last of the twilight. You can never guarantee what you’ll see when looking for wildlife, but you can always count on nature to be a source of inspiration. Life definitely felt like magic today.
I have completed a week of daily acts to celebrate the magic of life, but I don’t intend to stop here. It is sometimes challenging to think of things to do, or to find time, but I absolutely love the mindset that it creates in me. Stay tuned to see how I continue to celebrate.
I’m on day 6 of my challenge to celebrate the magic of life in some way, big or small, every single day (find out why here). I’ve had some awesome experiences already which you can read about in my last few posts, but there are obviously days when my enthusiasm wanes and I need a break. Luckily I compiled a list of ideas of simple ways to celebrate for such an occasion.
The aim of this challenge is to get into a more magical mindset about life, so as long as I am taking some kind of action in alignment with that, I will have succeeded. As today was rainy and cold, and I was tired from last night’s party, I decided it was the perfect day to stay in and do some adventure planning!
Planning an adventure is an amazing way of embracing life when you don’t actually have the energy or desire to go anywhere at that moment. I always end up going on spontaneous mini adventures, which are obviously wonderful, but regret not having enough time, or lack of planning means I end up missing out on things or rushing. Things would go so much more smoothly if I had some pre-planned ideas to follow through with when the timing and weather are right!
I’ve been to the Brecon Beacons many times before, but have always gone along with other people’s plans so have never needed to figure out where to go and what to see. I spent the afternoon looking at photos of magical waterfalls, dreaming and planning.
Reading about other people’s experiences really sparked that sense of adventure in me again, and day 7 will definitely be a celebration of the magic of nature (even though I don’t have time to go all the way to Wales!).
Day 5 of my challenge to celebrate the magic of life in some way every day was too easy, as my best friend was having a gathering at her beautiful new home in the countryside.
There have been times in the past when I’ve not enjoyed parties, as I’ve felt depressed or disconnected from my surroundings. I’m learning more and more that I have greater control over my experience than I used to think I did though.
Unless you have some unresolved emotions or other problems bringing you down, it tends to be the case that you get out of a situation what you put in. I brought fairy lights, chocolates, presents and a whole load of Christmas spirit, and in return had the most wonderful time.
After 3 days of awesome madness (check out my last few posts) I decided to celebrate in a much more relaxing way today, by having an extra luxurious bath. It was the best possible start to an extremely busy day, and the blissful chilled out feeling carried me through.
This time of year can get crazy so it’s important to get the most out of our relaxation time. With rose quartz and amethyst crystals, candles and incense, this was a bath of dreams! One of the most important things to celebrate in life is having a healthy body, and treating it like a temple is an extremely enjoyable way to do this.
I always want ideas for relaxing ways to appreciate the magic of life. I love going to spas and being in the water in general. If you have any recommendations or other ideas please let me know in the comments below 🙂
Day 3 of my challenge to celebrate the magic of life in some way every single day was an evening of ice skating and winter fun in Bristol. This challenge was inspired by Christmas, but is intended to continue into 2019. It is easy to find ways to celebrate at this time of year, but I am being constantly reminded that attitude is everything.
As my friend and I walked to the ice rink from the car park we were initially disappointed by the lack of decorations in the city centre. I remembered my intention to celebrate the magic, and found that when I focused on the beauty it became amplified. The lights seemed to shine brighter, and I was dazzled at the difference my change of mindset made.
We sang all the way to the winter fair, and I was glad to be with someone as happy as me to be silly in public! I love people who I can just be my crazy self with like my fellow massage therapist friend Sarah. We spotted a sign that simply said ‘GET MERRY’, so we were happy to oblige! I was so excited by the time we reached this Christmas tree which marked our arrival.
Ice skating was predictably busy and treacherous, but after half an hour I was gliding around easily and barely noticed all the people wobbling and colliding, as I was in my own world. I felt like I was in the winter wonderland described in so many classic Christmas songs!
Our session was over way too soon, but we happily sang all the way home again! Another fantastic day of celebration.
Day 2 of my challenge to celebrate the magic of life in some way, big or small, every single day was completely different from Day 1 (when I climbed Glastonbury Tor at twilight), but equally magical in its own way.
An experimental photo shoot with fairy lights seemed like a perfect way to celebrate. It was way out of my comfort zone, and we had to take a lot of bad shots to get some I was pleased with, but it was totally worth the struggle! Creative projects when I am pushing my boundaries rarely go smoothly, but the joy when I see the end result is always so rewarding.
Despite being slightly uncomfortable in front of the camera, there were moments of total peace, wonder and magic being bathed in beautiful lights in the darkness. I felt awkward and anxious, but the moments when I felt like a radiant goddess were the pay off!
It’s something I may not have done if I hadn’t taken on this celebratory challenge, so I’m already seeing the benefit and it’s only Day 2. I will be posting regularly about my celebrations and experiences, so stay tuned for more!
I would love it if you joined in with my celebrations, so if you feel inspired to celebrate life in your own way, or try one of my ideas, please share your experiences with me. Leave a comment below, or find me on Instagram @tessheaven.
If you have read my last 2 posts you will know that I have taken on a challenge to celebrate the magic of life in some way, big or small, every single day. It is Day 2 and I am already feeling overwhelmed!
Yesterday I climbed Glastonbury Tor, which was an epic way to start. I have an awesome plan for this evening, which you will hopefully get to see very soon in my next post. However, this level of celebration is simply unsustainable. I need some more simple and relaxing ways to honour and celebrate the magnificence of life, otherwise I am going to burn out extremely quickly!
I am compiling a list for myself to help me when I run out of ideas, or am simply exhausted, so I thought I would share it with you too.
Have an extra luxurious bath.
Adorn yourself in jewels or other beautiful things. (See my Etsy shop for handmade crystal treasures.)
Create a magical altar or meditation space.
Celebrate someone you admire. Share the work of someone who inspires you, or tell a friend they are amazing.
Push beyond your limitations – learn a new yoga pose, song or something else challenging.
Plan an adventure – even if you don’t have time to go anywhere, planning a magical adventure is a perfect way to celebrate life.
Dance, sing, play music or create a playlist of songs
Cook something exciting or bake a cake.
Take photos of beautiful things you see.
Go rollerskating, ice skating, trampolining or another fun activity.
Celebrate nature with a fire, swim outdoors in a river, lake or the sea, climb a mountain, the list goes on!
I will be sharing my experiences with these and much more over the coming weeks. Please comment below if you have any other ideas of simple ways to celebrate life.
My previous post Christmas Inspired Me To Start Blogging Again will explain in more detail what is happening here. In a nutshell, I have decided to undertake the crazy task, which I shall almost certainly fail at, of doing something to celebrate the magic of life every single day. It will be very difficult to sustain such a high level of enthusiasm, let alone manage to blog about it, but I believe the process will be rewarding! Hopefully my posts can provide you with some inspiration and magic too.
Day 1 was a pilgrimage to the top of Glastonbury Tor. (Conveniently, I was staying with my boyfriend in Glastonbury at the time!) I decided today was the day to begin my challenge, and despite the weather and lack of light for photos, the Tor was calling me. What a perfect way to celebrate being in this amazing place, and the start of a new series of adventures.
Going up to the Tor was far less important than celebrating the magic I found along the way, as my whole reason for doing this was to become more present to the beauty that surrounds us all of the time.
I set off on my journey at a brisk pace, aware of the fading light, but with joy in my heart, ready to absorb the wonders I would come across. The beautiful lights in these trees showed me that I was on the right track.
It wasn’t long before I reached the White Spring, and I took a quick detour into the temple which is free to enter. Mysterious is a massive understatement when describing this place. I don’t know enough to give you historical information, but it felt kind of eerie on this occasion.
I’ve been inside before, but it was my first visit alone. I loved the few strange moments I spent in there, but needed to continue onwards and upwards.
As I climbed higher, the lights from the town below glittered and faded into the distance. I stood for a moment to appreciate the scene in front of me, and the warm glow lit up my heart. A few days before, the simple joy of Christmas had showed me the way forward, and now I was allowing myself to fully receive the magic this moment had to offer.
I passed the last few visitors coming down, and then it was just me and the Tor. I felt as though I had been transported back in time, and it hit me that I was travelling an ancient path.
As I neared the top the cold really set in, and I didn’t hang around for long. I had found the magic I had been seeking, and although these poor quality photos don’t do it justice, I hope my words convey the sense of euphoria I got from my first day of celebration.
As I walked back through town, everything seemed a little brighter. I popped into Earthfare (the local health food supermarket) to buy supplies, and could feel my whole body buzzing with energy.
My next act of celebration would be something completely different, and I already had an exciting idea. Stay tuned for my post on Day 2 of Celebrating The Magic, coming soon!
I was feeling miserable and disconnected from my surroundings as I sat on the sofa at my parents’ house, barely noticing what TV show was flickering in front of my eyes. I’d had a bad day with a mini disaster involving a lot of my handmade jewellery getting damaged, and I’d had to cancel the massages I was supposed to be doing.
I was hoping to spend some time getting into the Christmas spirit with my mum and dad, but it was early December and although I’d enforced some festive decorating they weren’t ready for celebrations yet. I wasn’t in the mood now either.
Despite feeling down, I retained some self awareness and I knew how to bring myself back to a happier state of mind. I decided to embrace the magic of Christmas even if nobody else wanted to.
When I tuned into the things I love about the festive season – lights, sparkles, comfort and love (not to mention all the food!) – everything made sense again. I watched a terrible movie on the Christmas channel, and enjoyed it for the magical winter scenes and beautiful decorations. My mince pie and santa hat brought me warmth, and I gazed around at all the delightful things I’d been blind to a moment before.
The simple intention to allow the spirit of Christmas to warm my heart had changed my mood almost instantly. I remember practising doing a similar thing a few years before, when I was a lot less of a Christmas lover. I decided to embrace all the festivities that I was previously indifferent to, and I haven’t looked back since! Now fairy lights and glittery snowflakes have a magical effect on me pretty easily when I allow them to.
Although I knew it would be easy to change my state of mind (I’ve written a lot about this in my earlier posts, Shimmering Magic Everywhere being one such example), I had no idea how profound the effect would be. I’m always amazed at the difference a simple change in perspective can make, but this one moved me deeply.
I could see quite clearly how special the magic of Christmas, and the magic of life in general, truly was. Allowing myself to notice the beauty made my heart happy and made me a much more pleasant person to be around. I realised how grumpy I had been all evening when I finally felt at peace. I knew it was much more than just my mood that had changed, and I vowed to find a way to share this magic.
It’s easy to celebrate the magic of life at Christmas time when it’s all around, but I was already thinking about the rest of the year. I had to find a way of keeping this magic alive without looking like a crazy person, still wearing my santa hat and bauble earrings in January.
I regularly share things that inspire and uplift me on social media, and occasionally here on my blog. However, I felt like it was time to make a big change and truly start living in this magic on a daily basis.
I want to celebrate life every single day. I’m sure I will fail at this, but I’m also sure I will experience a deeper sense of peace and connection to the world around me through setting this intention. Every day I will celebrate the magic of life in some way, big or small, and I will share my experiences with you. This will hopefully keep me on track, and my blog will be a source of inspiration, just like a Christmas tree covered in sparkling lights that inspires hope and joy in so many hearts at this time of year.
How do you celebrate life? I have lots of ideas of ways to celebrate the magic, including going on mini adventures, big adventures, covering myself in crystals, celebrating the work of others that inspires me, and much much more. First post on this coming soon, stay tuned!
