Life is too serious to be serious all the time. While mindfulness keeps us grounded, adding a little whimsy can bring unexpected joy. Whether it’s switching up your look with a wig, dancing in the kitchen, or sipping tea from a fancy cup, embracing playfulness is a powerful form of self-care. Joy isn’t just in the big moments—it’s in the little things that make your soul sparkle.

I have (at least) two sides of my personality: dark, quiet, goth, and moody, and the other side is light, colorful, upbeat, and chill. It’s a contrast that feels striking, yet it’s not a contradiction. Both sides are equally beautiful, equally valid. And some days, you’ll find yourself somewhere in the middle—a little shadow, a little sunshine, perfectly imperfect. 

The other day I found a couple of my Rose of Jericho plants (aka Resurrection Plant) in their dormant state. If you don’t know what they are, it’s a plant that withers into a tiny shriveled ball when it doesn’t have a water source. It looks dead. But put it in a shallow bowl with water and within a few minutes it starts to rehydrate and bloom into a healthy, green, strong plant. I thought it was a great analogy to life. Sometimes we are going through life and dealing with serious stuff, things that set us on a different path and make us (on the surface at least) seem unlike ourselves. We may feel weary and tired (and look that way too!). But we just need something to pull us out of it. For the plant, it’s a water source for us it could be lots of things: proper nutrition, exercise, meditation, time with loved ones, solitudue, etc. Changing your life, doesn’t have to be monumental. It could be a small thing or a series of small things that put you back on the right track.