Finding Joy

We’re almost to the end of February, how have you been doing? What has this year been like so far for you? 

This part of the year can really push some of us to our edge. A long winter after a long year, we can start to notice ourselves running out of steam. 

Think of a situation right now that when it comes to mind your heart feels heavy, and you find yourselves clenching your teeth, maybe tightening your shoulders, or rubbing your forehead in frustration. In this situation I want to ask you something that is going to feel so forgien, and so undoable. In this situation is there anywhere you can find joy? 

This resistance to find joy here keeps this scenario as a place in our mind that only looks for headaches. A place in our mind that it only looks for trouble and stress. No matter the scenario; for example sitting down and looking at your budget, having that talk with your significant other, talking to your boss about that one problem that keeps coming up, the doctor visit you don’t want to make. It built a place in your mind as a center for stress. A place that has taught itself to look for what is going wrong, rather than what could go right. For me it is the process of moving, the packing away of my things and transporting them somewhere new and the change involved with it all. 

I realized that every time I moved in anyway or packed away belongings I felt like a completely different person. A person full of anxiety and fear. My mind has related this time to always mean stress. When we ask this question so opposing to what our mind wants to do,

 “where can I find joy here?”

It slowly makes cracks in the walls keeping that image of stress in place. We can slowly see that maybe looking at my budget makes me face numbers I don’t want to, but I can find joy in the fact that I am making improvements.  We can see maybe having that talk with my boss makes me vulnerable but I can find joy in connecting and growing in my career. We can see maybe moving creates a lot of transition and work, but I can find joy in my loved ones helping me out and celebrate this new phase of my life. 

When we make our first priority our presence in the moment we find that the demand to find joy is way more important than investing our attention to the stress. 

Where do you need to ask yourself more often, where can I find joy here? I believe you will find it. Give it time. 

Practice & Play 

Wishing you free, 

Jenn