As mentioned in my previous Blog, I am now working at Lululemon - AKA the home of stretchy pants. Having only arrived in New Zealand less than a month ago, it’s been a pretty whirlwind experience, and being a part of this infamous yoga and fitness family is just a part of it.
Currently in store we’re educating on Lululemon’s most recent movement “Fuel Happiness”. An initiative where we are focusing on a different practice of happiness every week, for seven weeks. Working in the Queenstown store and being a part of implementing our collective aim of spreading happiness amongst our community has made me think a lot about the meaning behind each practice: meditation, gratitude, purpose, positivity, kindness, connections and pleasure.
Research shows that we ourselves have a large role to play in our own happiness, and by making small changes to our day to day life, little conscious decisions, we can all become happier in the life that we’re leading. So in light of that, I want to share a few ideas that I have learnt about in the past 2 weeks which are easy ways of making your life more fulfilled, and in turn, creating your own happiness. So, here we go…
Pleasure: Connect with nature – research suggests those who are more actively connected to nature experience more vitality, positive moods, and life satisfaction. Head out for a hike, tke a dip in the ocean, or just go for a stroll through the park! Whatever way you decide to connect with nature, make a point of it, and truly enjoy it.
Positivity: Pick something you really enjoy… Now give it up for a week. Giving it up allows you to truly enjoy what’s positive in your life when it comes back!
Kindness: A good old rearrange of your living space/home can do a world of good. Move your furniture around to promote connectedness – notice areas such as empty walls, or shelves where you could introduce objects that remind you to stay connected. Photos of the people you care about, trinkets from places you’ve been where you created amazing memories. Feeling connected to your loved ones promotes generosity, and generosity makes you happier.
Meditation: We all spend a lot of our day walking – but for the most part it’s to and from places where we need to get to, whilst we are often distracted by other thoughts. Take 15 minutes of your day to just walk, it can make a huge difference. As you walk, notice all of the positive things around you, the sensations you can feel, smell, hear and the sights you can see. You’ll come away feeling calmer, happier, and maybe with a new view on something you previously couldn’t see past.
Gratitude: A conscious act of kindness. Choose someone in your life that you’re thankful for, and tell them about it. Take two to five minutes and write that text, email, card or letter now! Tell that person why they’re so important to you, and how awesome they are. You’ll give them a massive positive boost, and feel great for doing so.
Purpose: Channel your inner creativity – for the next week, photograph something everyday that brings meaning into your life. It can be small or big. Then print them out and hang them up or make a scrap book - get creative! Daily reminders of what gives our life meaning helps bring us lasting fulfilment in our lives.
Connections: Staying connected for me is one of the biggies. No matter where you are in the world, there’s always those friends you know will be there, no matter what the time difference. Social connections play a big role in our happiness, so we need to nurture them. Whether its having a social get-together, a team adventure, cooking a meal together, or just going out for a coffee, make sure you keep your connections alive.
With each week in store centring around a different event relating to one of these practises, I put myself forward for taking the lead on Connections week – and what better way to stay connected that sending a handmade card. On the 23rd of December our connections buzz event will bring ERW Designs into the Lululemon Queenstown store, and I will be there hand-making cards for people to send a meaningful message to their loved ones – near or far - promoting the practice of staying connected, in one of the oldest, simplest ways.
Although social media now means we can stay updated on each others lives more and more, I feel as though it takes away that uniqueness of receiving a personal message meant just for you, that you know someone has taken the time to send. To me, there’s nothing better than receiving a handwritten message in a card. A physical, tangible item to sincerely tell someone how much they mean to you, and make a difference in their day. Because realistically, in 10 years from now, will you take the time to scroll up through your Facebook messages with someone - or will you have stored that unexpected, card you received from them one rainy Thursday afternoon somewhere you can get it out and re-read it...
"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break." - Chinese Proverb.
Currently in store we’re educating on Lululemon’s most recent movement “Fuel Happiness”. An initiative where we are focusing on a different practice of happiness every week, for seven weeks. Working in the Queenstown store and being a part of implementing our collective aim of spreading happiness amongst our community has made me think a lot about the meaning behind each practice: meditation, gratitude, purpose, positivity, kindness, connections and pleasure.
Research shows that we ourselves have a large role to play in our own happiness, and by making small changes to our day to day life, little conscious decisions, we can all become happier in the life that we’re leading. So in light of that, I want to share a few ideas that I have learnt about in the past 2 weeks which are easy ways of making your life more fulfilled, and in turn, creating your own happiness. So, here we go…
Pleasure: Connect with nature – research suggests those who are more actively connected to nature experience more vitality, positive moods, and life satisfaction. Head out for a hike, tke a dip in the ocean, or just go for a stroll through the park! Whatever way you decide to connect with nature, make a point of it, and truly enjoy it.
Positivity: Pick something you really enjoy… Now give it up for a week. Giving it up allows you to truly enjoy what’s positive in your life when it comes back!
Kindness: A good old rearrange of your living space/home can do a world of good. Move your furniture around to promote connectedness – notice areas such as empty walls, or shelves where you could introduce objects that remind you to stay connected. Photos of the people you care about, trinkets from places you’ve been where you created amazing memories. Feeling connected to your loved ones promotes generosity, and generosity makes you happier.
Meditation: We all spend a lot of our day walking – but for the most part it’s to and from places where we need to get to, whilst we are often distracted by other thoughts. Take 15 minutes of your day to just walk, it can make a huge difference. As you walk, notice all of the positive things around you, the sensations you can feel, smell, hear and the sights you can see. You’ll come away feeling calmer, happier, and maybe with a new view on something you previously couldn’t see past.
Gratitude: A conscious act of kindness. Choose someone in your life that you’re thankful for, and tell them about it. Take two to five minutes and write that text, email, card or letter now! Tell that person why they’re so important to you, and how awesome they are. You’ll give them a massive positive boost, and feel great for doing so.
Purpose: Channel your inner creativity – for the next week, photograph something everyday that brings meaning into your life. It can be small or big. Then print them out and hang them up or make a scrap book - get creative! Daily reminders of what gives our life meaning helps bring us lasting fulfilment in our lives.
Connections: Staying connected for me is one of the biggies. No matter where you are in the world, there’s always those friends you know will be there, no matter what the time difference. Social connections play a big role in our happiness, so we need to nurture them. Whether its having a social get-together, a team adventure, cooking a meal together, or just going out for a coffee, make sure you keep your connections alive.
With each week in store centring around a different event relating to one of these practises, I put myself forward for taking the lead on Connections week – and what better way to stay connected that sending a handmade card. On the 23rd of December our connections buzz event will bring ERW Designs into the Lululemon Queenstown store, and I will be there hand-making cards for people to send a meaningful message to their loved ones – near or far - promoting the practice of staying connected, in one of the oldest, simplest ways.
Although social media now means we can stay updated on each others lives more and more, I feel as though it takes away that uniqueness of receiving a personal message meant just for you, that you know someone has taken the time to send. To me, there’s nothing better than receiving a handwritten message in a card. A physical, tangible item to sincerely tell someone how much they mean to you, and make a difference in their day. Because realistically, in 10 years from now, will you take the time to scroll up through your Facebook messages with someone - or will you have stored that unexpected, card you received from them one rainy Thursday afternoon somewhere you can get it out and re-read it...
"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break." - Chinese Proverb.