In August the focus is on celebrating life, each day is special and worth creating lasting memories. I began the month encouraging you to create a summer bucket list. I also reminded you that their are National holidays and observances every day of the year, usually more than one! Some are serious, but it seems that August has more than it’s fair shar of fun/quirky days!

This week is FULL of fun ways to celebrate life!  Today, Monday August 15th is National Relaxation Day as well as Cowboy and Cowgirl Day.  The 16th is National Tell a Joke Day and National Roller Coaster Day. Wednesday you can celebrate thrift store shopping, Thursday Bad Poetry Day and Friday World Photo and World Humanitarian Day.  And to end the week, Saturday is radio day which celebrates the invention of radio, and the start of music, shows, live events and nowadays podcasts and satellite services.

Yes, there are more celebrations for each day than I am listing. These specific celebrations may not appeal to you at all, so what’s my point?  Do something each day that brings you joy.  Something that causes others to smile have hope and that you remain present in the moment, and not wish your life away. Do something enjoyable, memorable and breaths life into your soul.

So, today, on National Relaxation Day, let’s take 5-10 minutes to relax.  If you find that difficult use an app like CALM or Headspace to guide you. You can also put on some relaxing music and use your eye pods or sit in the car in the parking lot. Here’s another way you can build resilience with relaxation as a daily practice. Try a simple breathing exercise with your eyes shut sitting or lying down.  Adding this as a daily practice can help you bounce back when life happens. We need to remember that there is a relaxation response as well as a fight or flight response in our bodies.

 Relaxation, why is it important?  Here’ are 10 reasons why you should relax daily!

 1.     Slows our heart rate and slows respiration. Calms the body.

2.     Reduces our blood pressure and the increased blood flow that can cause headaches

3.     Relieves tension in our muscles

4.     Aids digestion as we absorb essential nutrients more efficiently when relaxed. This in turn helps you fight off disease and infection.

5.     Decreases anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

6.     Reduces pain (long-term illnesses, chronic conditions)

7.     Boosts your energy and assists in better sleep patterns.

8.     Produces a sense of calmness and confidence.

9. Improves coping abilities

10. Makes you a better human who can regulate their emotions and demonstrate resilience when life happens

Okay, relaxation is easy, what else is there to do…how about celebrating your inner cowboy or cowgirl with a BBQ and rodeo themed party instead? Or blast friends with a joke tomorrow ( Tuesday, August 16th). What about writing and reciting some bad poetry on Thursday at the dinner table, with friends or share on social media? What about having friends over for a picnic or BBQ with the entertainment being each others bad poetry? Create your own fun, unique event and celebrate all life has to offer.

On, Wednesday visit your favorite thrift store or go shopping for the first time and experience upcycling at it’s finest! You’ll be amazed at all the treasures for a value price you can find.  It’s great to upcycle and reuse things, verses be a consumer and just get more.  It’s back to school time, take your kiddos and get some cheap clothes and school supplies to reduce the budget and fight off the need for “new” temptation.  It’s a great way to teach your kids to be good stewards, reduce waste and their carbon footprint on this earth.  Take this 5 minute test on Carbon Hero to see your footprint, you might be shocked!

If you love photography, World photo Day on August 19th will be something to celebrate. World Photography Day is an annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science, and history of photography. Be sure to share your best photos on social media and tag using #WorldPhotographyDay.

You can participate in World Photography Day and help support photography everywhere, whether or not you have a photo to share! Search for posts using the tag #WorldPhotographyDay on August 19th, on the social medium of your choice, and "Like", comment and share the photos that resonate with you the most. If you discover a photographer whose work you appreciate, be sure to give them a follow-on social media, as well!

Since the early 19th century, photography has become an ever-increasing medium of personal expression and appreciation for countless people around the world. A photograph can capture a place; an experience; an idea; a moment in time. For this reason, it's said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Photographs can convey a feeling faster than, and sometimes even more effectively than words can. A photograph can make the viewer see the world the way the photographer sees it.

Photographs even transcend the passing of time - a photo from a hundred years ago can still be as appreciated now, as it was then. A photo taken tomorrow, can still be just as appreciated by others in a hundred years' time.

Join the World Photography Day celebration. Go out and capture a moment. Post it on August 19th with the hashtag, #WorldPhotographyDay.  You can also register your participation at by clocking on that link. You can also submit your photos directly to World Photography Day!  Submit your best photos taken around the world, and the stories behind them, for consideration. Any photo submitted must be one that you personally took, own the rights to, and give World Photography Daily permission to share on our site, and/or our social media outlets, and/or mailing list, with appropriate credit given. Currently, they are looking for landscape, cityscape, wildlife, nature, cultural and night photography, but all photos submitted will be reviewed for consideration.

Photos must be at least 1000 pixels on their longest side. Watermarks, if used at all, must be placed small and tastefully, for the photo to be considered. All submitted photos must include at least 4 sentences describing the story of how the photo was captured. There is no limit on the description length. If you choose to include a website address, it will be linked to from our site, if we share your photo.

I hope you’re inspired to take a photo and share it, thrift store shop or write some bad poetry now.  So many fun things you can do this week to celebrate life, connect with others or bring some joy back to a mundane life!