Delights to Cultivate in 2015

This weekend, I had an opportunity to have brunch with my husband, sans kids. Yes, time alone with my man. That kind of time together so rarely happens. First of all, brunch is such a simple pleasure - a luxury, really. Brunch denotes time, space, enjoyment, leisure and pleasure. And to have brunch - not because it's Mother's Day or because you're marking a special occasion - to have brunch alone with the one you love for no other reason than connection and nourishment is downright dreamy.

So, it was during this brunch, while sipping the latte above - again, such a rare treat for me - that I began to consider my New Year's Resolutions. You know those terrible little nagging tasks we outline for ourselves at the beginning of each year... that horrible list of things we neglected last year that we drag into the new year to haunt our idle hours. Yes... New. Year's. Resolutions.

New year's resolutions always seem to be about NOT doing something or losing something or stopping something. Lose weight. Quit wasting time. Stop mindless spending. But this year, I'm not interested in traditional resolutions. I want to live more fully in the present moment. I want to sink into my experiences and really imbibe the beauty all around me.

In THIS lovely article, Laura Grace Weldon explores the idea of "Delight-Driven Willpower" and creates a great list of goals for the new year. She talks about traditional goals and how they zap energy from the truly delightful things in your life. I couldn't agree more. So, inspired by the latte above and Ms. Weldon's example, here is my delight driven goals for 2015.


1.  Learn more about beekeeping.

2.  Investigate the world of herbal teas.

3.  Indulge my inner student and take art classes in my community.

4.  Continue to date my husband. I'll be referencing THIS list for inspiration.

5.  Cultivate my garden and let it spread.

6.  Sketch something everyday.

7.  Tattoo please.

8.  Be a person who wears clothing I made for myself.

9.  Nourish my children with a peaceful demeanor. 

10. Relish whole foods and clean eating. 

11. Acknowledge my gifts and celebrate my personal progress.

12. Enjoy a slower pace. 

13. Support my neighborhood school with my time.

14. Cultivate deep listening - to people, to my inner workings and to the world around me.

15. Dare greatly and enjoy freedom from judgement. 

Interested in more from Laura Grace Weldon?

Check out THIS great post about creating Life Lists.

And now it's your turn, dear reader.

What delights do you want to cultivate in 2015?