So November 12th is National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day. Though I am a vegetarian, I totally understand and love the concept behind the name of the books behind this day. In my mind, I replace “chicken soup” with “milagu rasam” (also known as muligatawny) or any other comforting home made dish my mom made to make me feel better when I was not well. The Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and consequentially, this day, is to celebrate the wonderful things that warm our souls, no matter what they are. I have more about the day and the books themselves later on in the post: more of a short overview.

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Love is definitely one of the warmest ways to warm our hearts, a perfect chicken soup for the soul! As is a smile, a kind word, gratitude, and stories that inspire, encourage, and give hope.

For now, I want to share with you a few

Wonderful Ways to Warm Our Souls

• Give thanks. So many ways to do it (Volunteer, do a RAK – and it is World Kindness Day on the 13th of November, baked goods to your local fire station, & more ideas here)
• Go out on a hike
• Stay indoors and work on a jigsaw puzzle with family, or
• Cozy up and read a book – an old favorite or a new one you have been looking forward to
• Write three things that made you happy/thankful/smile today
• Create a jar of ...well, anything you want – gratitude maybe, or silly things to do when you need to cheer up (like in those children’s party games), or even a list of those long-term to-dos/goals.
• Find the little things that make you happy and grateful. For instance, these everyday anythings do make me happy! Or some of these things – big and little – that I found on this wonderful list here at mbgmindfulness.
• Have a date with yourself – and schedule time aside to do something you love. Repeat!
• Go on a date with friends, and do something fun each time you meet.
• Set some time aside to spend with each of your family members separately, and do something the two of you will enjoy. Maybe a cozy dinner with your spouse, a spa date with your teenage daughter, a trip to the local bookstore with your son (because you both love reading!)
• Bake something – bread, brownies, your favorite cupcakes or cookies – and share them
• Start a new family tradition – anything at all – maybe a game night; a portrait session (by yourselves); something unique!
• Learn dancing – any style that pleases you
• Have a karaoke party with loved ones and sing your heart out
• Pick up the phone and call someone you haven’t talked to for a long while
• Create something – a drawing, painting, a clay sculpture, just a doodle – with an intention to gift it to someone. That changes how the end product is, I know that from experience.
• Write a poem, a story, or even just a wish for someone – like a birthday greeting maybe. And like the previous item, do so with a loved one in mind, and you will be pleased with the results.
• Seek warmth and pleasure in the simplest things – smile at someone, give a compliment, say ‘I love you’ to a loved one, use those words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ more often….
• And so many more ways! Tell me your favorite way to warm your soul.

Extra, Extra

About Chicken Soup for the Soul Day and the Books

According to the team at the National Day Calendar, this day has its origins in a publication called Creative Forecasting. In 2002, they published a listing with a suggestion to read a Chicken Soup for the Soul book to residents at retirement facilities, and this led to the day itself being celebrated/observed. However, the books themselves have been in publication since 1993. Did you know there are now over 250 Chicken Soup for the Soul books?! I have read, maybe, three of them, and knew of a few more, but 250? I had no idea… but so glad there are so many books to help warm our hearts!

Books that Help Warm the Soul

Granted some of these books are bound to leave you in tears, but they somehow end up warming the soul too in the end (at least they did so for me, so here they are):

• Chicken Soup for the Soul series books. I have read and cherish Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul, Chicken Soul for the Kid’s Soul, and Chicken Soup for the Girl’s Soul as well as the original first book simply called Chicken Soup for the Soul
• Six Word Memoirs: A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year. A poignant, tugging-at-heartstrings that makes you smile. You can read my complete thoughts here.
• The Little Prince. Reading this book always leaves me feeling all kinds of emotions..
• The Alchemist. A book I have never been able to review, or put words together to talk about it.
• When Breath Becomes Air
• The Diary of a Young Girl
• and many more I left out for today … lack of time and space… 🙂

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, what warms your soul? What brings a smile on your face, lights it up? What makes you feel all fuzzy and wonderful?

Linking this to Six Word Saturdays; which’s at Debbie’s Travel With Intent. An on-again, off-again meme for me. More often off than I’m on. But I do enjoy doing it. So whenever I can, I do!