Gita was returning home after a hectic work schedule. The evening stretched ahead of her with a list of never ending tasks to be done. She was feeling overwhelmed. As she neared her home, she saw a lady selling beautiful, fresh flowers. On an impulse, Gita bought a bunch and as soon as she reached home, she arranged the blooms in a vase and placed it on the dining table. She also decided to play some of her old favourite songs on the music system that had not been used for ages. As Gita heard the music wafting through the house and smelt the sweet fragrance of flowers, she felt her spirits lift like never before. All the tiredness she had felt through the day slipped away and she felt energised. When her husband and children got back, they were amazed to see Gita happily cutting the vegetables, humming to the music, with a smile on her face.

This is a great example of how music and flowers, so simple and inexpensive, can enhance the quality of our lives. And you, like Gita, wonder why you don’t indulge in these simple pleasures more often.

As you embark on the course to a more enriched life, one of the greatest payoffs is that you start to seek peace and comfort in the joyful simplicities of life.

Little things start beginning to mean a lot to you. A walk in the park, reading a book in bed, nourish body and soul by engaging your senses. They teach you how to live for the present moment.

Life comes together when you seek out the sublime in the ordinary.

Life is not an endless round of parties. There’s a lot of drabness to most of your days: sheets to be changed, children’s homework to be overseen, files to be checked, groceries to be collected.

To keep your daily round from being so dull, learn to delight in the art of the ordinary. Discover diminutive delights that bring you happiness and joy.

It’s so easy to get caught up in all that there is to do that you forget these simple pleasures.

This week, think about the simple things you can do to enhance and improve the mood of your life. For example:

• Doing nothing in the middle of the day.
• Placing some photographs of those you love on your refrigerator.
• Savouring the smell of coffee early in the morning.
• Reading in bed till late on a Sunday morning.
• Creating a small little garden.
• Placing fresh flowers in the house.
• Enjoying (not just tolerating) the company of children.
• Listening to the chirping of the birds near your window.
• Browsing through books and music in shops.
• Preparing your favourite soup, taking pleasure in cutting and chopping vegetables for it, preferably to the accompaniment of your favourite music.

You have a beautiful life in front of you. Don’t rush through the process. Seize the essence of life and embrace every moment.

Today, make discovering those joyful simplicities that bring you personal comfort and a sense of well being, one of your highest priorities.