Where do you look for joy? Sometimes it can be in the simplest of places.
Last week I was demented with rest and happy to have the energy to be outside.
We have all been sick. We got covid like a relay team: first one, then a week later another, then later again the last two. Just in case two years wasn’t long enough to be alone in the house.
When I emerged I checked. Have I missed the cherry blossoms? The ones I wait for (the pink ones) are still budding and bulging before they blossom any moment now.
I delight in these trees. To me they are a burst of joy, a fleeting moment of gorgeous beauty.
In the two years we’ve been living in this pandemic I have tuned into the natural world around me as I walked to soothe my soul. On one route towards my children’s school are four white cherry blossom trees and maybe eight or nine pink ones. When they bloom I smile, inside and out, and they light up my heart. I love seeing them.
I was demented with rest and happy to have the energy to be outside.
It’s so simple.
I feel connected and happy when I’m near them.
Petals floating in the breeze creates an air of magic. It lasts only ten days a year, encouraging me to stop and enjoy each moment. As Ferris Bueller once said
‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. ‘
When I began coaching I knew I’d have to apply the work to myself. Part of the work is to truly notice who you are, how you are and what you value. Notice what brings you joy, what delights you, what you want more of.
This might not be for you, cherry blossoms may not be your joy. You may get giddy at something else – but I guarantee you, you have something. If you haven’t whole-heartedly embraced it yet, you may tell yourself or others ‘This is going to sound stupid but…’
Pause right there.
Here’s the thing. Life is incredibly short. Now is the time to own it, whatever it is. Make it yours – delight in what delights you. It has incredible power to increase your joy. Here’s the simple secret.
Joy IS A PRACTICE. And right now that is a worthy endeavour.
I encourage you, notice what you love and give yourself more of it. Amplify it. It has the power to feed your soul and increase your wellbeing.
If you need it to translate into productivity I’m certain there’s a study out there that will back it up but do you really need a reason to level up your joy? When our bucket is filled with enjoyable moments we have the fuel we need to get through the challenging times. Consider seeking it out, get curious. Stop for one moment and notice what you love. It has tremendous power in it.
Joy is a practice.
I anticipate them now. My cherry blossoms. In the anticipation there is a sweetness too.
And right now, my ten days are almost here.
Quick guide summary:
- Get curious
- Tune in
- Notice what you makes you feel joy
- Seek it out
- Put it into your day, week, month, year as often as you can
- Choose to be in it AS it is happening
- Repeat
- Add more as you notice more