How to bring magic back into your life
Slow Living in the City
It’s still dark outside, but the town square is already full of life. The cheerful market vendors unpacking their goods while making jokes and singing loudly. I hold my coffee-to-go with two hands to keep warm as it’s around zero degrees outside with a strong and cold wind. I don’t really care about the weather, nor the early hour, as I feel happy and alive on these Saturday mornings. I take a deep inhale and close my eyes for a moment…
“Being here, in this present moment, the busy workweek that ended just yesterday already seems so far away”
The magic of the simple present moment
I breathe the cold air in deeply as the wind touches my chilly face. We stock up on fresh and pure foods for the weekend. Being here, in this present moment, the busy workweek that ended just yesterday already seems so far away. We laugh and chat with the market vendors that we see every week and the people that, like us, also do their market shopping at this early hour. The man with the two large labradoodles that are always playful and from excitement ignoring his instructions, jumping at their boss who holds his coffee and breakfast to go while often he spills some as he has to hold the cup high up in the air.
Photo made by my friend Jessica van Zanten
“These small rituals make my heart sing”
Handmade with so much love
We stand in line at the popular authentic bakery while the sun begins to rise and the sky reveals a pink and golden glow and we enjoy the view of the little church in a narrow side street. These small rituals make my heart sing. We walk back to our street as it’s 9 o’clock and time for my flower-artist-man to open his urban shop and atelier. We get another hot drink to go from the cosy coffee house across the street and try to resist (or just get) my favorite delicate rose cake, handmade with so much love.
“As I was always chasing more, more, more even just a few year ago, little did I know that the magic lies in so much less…”
Where the magic hides
I turn the heat up in the house and make myself a large pot of hot tea. As I was always chasing more, more, more even just a few year ago, little did I know that the magic lies in so much less… I feel whole and grounded in the beautiful rituals of daily life in this creative neighborhood. I feel joyful and connected to the people living in these tiny streets around ours. There, just there in the midst of all that simplicity, I find my sense of wonder.
The streets leading up to the small market square
Icy winds outside, but lots of inside cosiness
The Dutch biking culture is everywhere
“Even in simple, small scale, ways we can feel hopeful that the city is not just a consuming human jungle, but a place where humanity flourishes”
A mindful city for slow living
I do love the natural landscapes deeply, but for this phase I chose the vibrant city life, as it turned out to fit me, my life and my creativity better for now. A mindful city though, with many initiatives and projects around sustainability and slow living. Cause only a mindful city will thrive in the future. Here are so many inspiring people to connect with. Even in simple, small scale, ways we can feel hopeful that the city is not just a consuming human jungle, but a place where humanity flourishes.
While I pour the hot tea, light a candle and sit behind the large wooden table I feel so deeply how little is needed to make a happy life. Who would have thought…