Adding Spark to My Week-end
“Wh-hat is a week-end?” Asked The Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey when Michael mentioned that he could help run the estate because he had plenty of time during the weekend.
This Blog is about adding SPARK, which gives you energy and joy and lights up your soul during your weekends without feeling guilty about your family, business, or career.
Scene from Downton Abbey
I love this scene because the Dowager Countess is sincerely clueless. Every day of her life was full of activities and downtime; dinners, tea, reading, walking, etc. Are you a fan of Downton Abbey? What do you like about this series? For me, it’s a reminder of a less stimulating era. Check out My Upgraded Evening Practice and 5 Benefits of Spas & Saunas. It boils down to two things for me:
Leisure and downtime as part of our daily lives!
Most of us, type A personalities, have been living on the gas peddle driving through life, rarely stopping or parking at the nearest scenic view. I finally started enjoying my weekends when I started dating Jimmy, my husband. As most of you know, I’ve been in Youth Development programming for over 20 years, working for the YMCA and other non-profits.
And I chose the crazy schedule
I know that now, I used to blame the non-profit culture; however, we get the choice to stay and break free. And so, as mentioned, I started to give my weekends a new try with this new boyfriend of mine back in 2010. It took a human to pick me up and schedule my weekends. I was living in Queens then, and he was in Staten Island. From museums to boat rides, hikes, dinners, and lots of Barnes & Noble and coffee shops.
And before you start telling yourself you gotta go out and get a boyfriend, let me share what was at the bottom of all these adventures. The common denominator for Jimmy and I was our Values, which we both considered important. And it does evolve around books, music, hikes, and coffee. It’s when you are in a middle of an activity and take that deep breath. Ahhh, this is good. It’s when Nacho Libre scene comes to mind.
“My life it’s good, REAL good. It’s Fantastic!
For me, it comes down to those small moments. Jazz music plays while holding a cup of coffee in the coziest chair. Yum. Yeah, this moment is good. It’s touching that tree, grass, plant, or sand as you watch a beautiful sunset. It’s eating that ice cream after a nice walk on a hot summer day, and the list goes on. I want to encourage you to take that time to stop and reflect. Yes, slowly let go of the gas peddle and gently tap into the brakes.
Park the car for a moment.
Look around you, and ask yourself what you notice. Start with the obvious, then get curious. List those things and say them out loud at 70% speed, meaning slower. Then repeat them and add a breath in between each one. Growing up, I visited my cousin Michelle in Tappan, NY. My family and I were in Flushing, Queens, and used to take US 9. I had yet to learn about the number of scenic views the parkway provided for us, and I’ve only experienced the scenic views with Jimmy 30 years later. Is there a place you can stop on your way to work?
What if it becomes a weekend ritual?
It can even be closer than you think. What if it’s around your own home? What if you open the window in your place and look outside? Look to the left, to your right, down, what about up as in the skies? I have often asked Jimmy if we were in a new trail for him to say, “nope, it’s a new season, that’s why it looks different.” And the same goes for the time of the day and our perspective. I would use noticing what is around you to enhance your ability to stop and take a breath. Please drop your findings in the comments below. I’ll love that!
Sharing is caring!
Now, if you’re on an empty tank to notice and reflect and would like more ideas and prompting, I’m going to share “My Ultimate Bucket List” journal ($7 investment) from Barnes & Noble that has spiced up my weekends. It also has encouraged me that the little things are the sweetest. I started by going memory lanes and checking off (do you check off or scratch off?) the items I have done from the journal below. It has space for a short description of your experience. And my favorite part:
Who I was with!
It was so much fun to find dates and places for all these Bucket List ideas. I have been thoughtful in the past without knowing that other people had the same idea. It also has served as a way to spice up my current ideas. I sure do hope you have fun with these activities. Stay tuned for an upcoming livestream this 2023. The journal has 400 ideas! It may be about 4 to 5 lives. Who knows! It could turn into a Morning Show. Drop it in the comments if this idea excites you!
I wrote a blog last year about the concept of a Weekend Bucket List NOW. Yes, not wait until retirement, when you have money, or when you feel successful. The Blog also includes a video. Check it out and let me know your thoughts on it. Okay, so below, I’m listing the Bucket List ideas that I either have done or planning to do this 2023 and 2024. I love designing any big events at least three years in advance. It extinguishes the mindset of “I can’t afford it.” Most people say, “How can I EVER afford it!” I have some magic for you. Drop the “EVER”
How can I afford it?
What happens when you drop the “EVER”? It shifts my mindset to solve a problem, and it becomes more of an opportunity. When I keep “EVER,” it brings hopelessness. So when I plan, I give myself plenty of time to save money or get even more creative about affording the event. Again, the ideas in this journal go from events to moments. Yes, that is Free 99.
Take a cruise!
Learn to Play an Instrument
Plant a tree
Test drive my Dream Car (keyword:”Test”)
Send a message in a bottle
Go to a Concert of your favorite Band
Enter a Talent Show and Win
Slide down a Fireman’s Pole
Make a Time Capsule and Bury it
Start a Blog and Keep it Going for a Year
Whaat! I started my Blog in March of 2022. One month from today, it will be a year! If you have been reading our Blog. I would love to know your name! Tell me what categories you enjoyed the most! Thanks for being a loyal reader. Okay, back to the list
Learn to say Hello in 50 Languages
Raise Chickens and Enjoy Fresh Eggs
Be in a Play
Get Dunked in a Dunking Booth
Fall Asleep Under the Stars with Someone I Love
Host/Participate in an Open Mic Night
Throw Myself a Birthday Party
Experience the Northern Lights
Get My Picture in the Newspaper
Attend a Movie Premier
Go to a Floating Lantern Festival
Throw a Dart at a Map and Go where it Lands
Try Yoga
Get in a Taxi (Uber) and Yell, “Follow That Car!”
Write and Publish an eBook
One of the things that I love about completing a Bucket List item is that I get to celebrate it with my family and friends. I had a blast at the livestream here on the day I Revealed and Launched my first Amazon product, the Journer, which was a 5-year experiment, finally in the hands of friends, family, and clients. Back to more ideas!
Sleep in a Hammock
Build a Tree House
Donate Hair to Cancer Patients
Adopt a Dog
Volunteer in a Homeless Shelter
Make Homemade Ice Cream
Sleep on the Beach
Fry an Egg on the Sidewalk
Host a Family Reunion
Try Every Flavor of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
Ride on a Double Decker Bus
DJ a Party
Read a Story to an Elderly Community
Bathe in a Mineral Spring
Create a Playlist for Someone
Visit Disney World or Disneyland
Tie Messages on a Bunch of Balloons and Let them go
Start a Food/Pillow Fight
Write a Letter to Myself and Open it in 10 Years
Fly in a Private Plane
Check out the story of me flying my first private plane in the blog post here, which also includes a video vlog of the experience. I made a childhood dream alive with less than $300. Again, it takes us to stop and reflect on these childhood memories when we decide to let go of the gas and slowly start pressing on the brakes. I sure do hope this Blog inspires you to do the following:
Stop at your nearest scenic view.
This view depends on what you value and what is important to you. I encourage you to choose YOU today. You can decide to prioritize your Values and add them to your weekend. You deserve leisure and downtime every day. Enjoy your evening scheming your next Weekend Bucket List with your loved one(s).
As always, please drop your comments below. And thank you for reading this far and being a loyal reader. Please share it with a friend or social media #ysuperstarsblog
Love
Me.
