Zest -- It's more than soap!

O.K., so maybe you have to be "of a certain age" to recognize Zest as a soap.  After all, the once ubiquitous (♫You're not really clean 'til your Zestfully clean♫) bar has been around since 1955.  Zest's claim to fame was that it was not really a soap because it didn't leave behind a soapy film.  It had a bright (though mostly unnatural) scent that I still remember.  Zest had a place in the soap dish when I was kid.  Did you know most odor-cued memories are located in the first ten years of life?  No doubt, this is why I  still associate the smell of Jergen's Lotion and Juicy Fruit gum with my mom . . .   But hey, what the heck does all of this have to do with the Unexpected Journey?

Well, first of all, it's zest -- not Zest that's on my mind today.

Today I'm thinking of zest (lower case) the character trait, not Zest, the soap.  VIA describes the zest character strength (one of my top five) as:

. . . approaching a situation, or life in general, with excitement and energy, not approaching tasks or activities halfway or halfheartedly. People who are high in zest are excited to get up in the morning, and they live their lives like an adventure. Zest is a dynamic strength that is directly related to physical and psychological wellness. This strength has the strongest ties to overall life satisfaction and a life of engagement.

And I am zesty!

This morning was typical of most mornings in my life: I awoke full of anticipation for another new day.  I love mornings.  Morning is my favorite time of the day.  I love sunrises (and we get some humdingers over the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range). 

Sunrise at 21 Chisholm today

I love breakfast.  It's my favorite meal of the day.  I make breakfast an adventure by choosing something different every day.  These days, the "put some weight on" order is allowing some crazy indulgences anyone would leap out of bed for!

Breakfast -- Bread Pudding from Dulce Bakery

I look forward to and love my morning workouts.  Right now it's just adding a few tenths of a mile to my walks -- but I am anxious to go a little further every day. 

Morning walk with Illy -- I'm up to 3.4 miles (yay!)

And you know, I don't wake up thinking about cancer.  I wake up anticipating the joy and adventure the day will bring whether in the mountains or at home.  I wake up greeted by two cold noses and one warm kiss.  I wake up with a smile -- too curious to stay in bed any longer because I just might miss something.

Who wants to half-step life when the opportunities are endless, the adventures bold and the smallest pleasures energizing and life affirming?  Not a zesty me.  Hello sunshine!

Quote of the Day:

How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!

                                                            ~John Muir

 VIA FRANCIGENA, 2020!