The smell of
homemade apple pie fills the room. You open the cabinets over
and over because you are so proud of your newly organized kitchen.
You read a familiar story to your child and mess up all the words
just so you can hear him giggle. You lie down next to a fire and
listen to your favorite music. Do any of these things make you
smile? If you had a list of things that made you smile or laugh,
what would be on your “joy list”?
Cultivating
joy in everyday living is not something we often think of. We
are too busy getting things “done” or tackling the day to day
demands and needs of those around us to think about having fun.
Real fun is something we save for vacations, right? Well, what
if we made a decision that we were going to enjoy life everyday,
all day? What would need to change in our lives?
The first step
toward living an enjoyable life is the belief that it is
possible. Just think how much more enjoyable life would be if
you were intentional about creating a joyful life. Most
of the time, we don’t stop long enough to think that it is within
our power to create something different. The truth of the matter
is that, with help from God, we can be the author of our own life
storybook.
You were created
uniquely different than anyone else, with different passions,
likes, and dislikes. What makes you tick? Think back to
the times in your life when you felt totally blissful. What were
you doing? Who were you with? Where were you? Dig deep and make
a list of as many things, people and places in life that make
you smile and feel wonderful. Be as detailed as possible. This
is your “joy list”. Now, think of things in your life that really
drain your energy and put you in a grumpy mood. For me, my “energy
drain list” consists of things like cold weather, negative people,
clutter, loud noises, and overeating. Make a list of people, places
and things in your life that deplete your energy.
Now that you
have your two lists, start saying yes to your “joy list” and no
to your “energy drain list”. Saying yes to more joy means
you will create opportunities to experience joy on a regular basis.
You will spend time with people you love, hang out in places that
fill you up and do things you love to do. Maybe it means you will
journal under a tree with a tall glass of lemonade. Perhaps you’ll
go for a run with your best friend or have a snowball fight with
your family. Creating joy can be as simple as watching a good
movie, taking a cat nap in the sun, or making ice cream sundaes
for dessert.
Saying no
to the energy drains will require that you set some boundaries
in your life to protect your energy. What personal standards do
you need to set to take care of yourself? What agreements do you
need to make and keep with yourself and others in order to be
at your best? Saying no to your energy drains might mean you plan
ahead so you can be on time and better organized, or go to bed
early so you have plenty of sleep. Maybe there will be conversations
or people you need to politely excuse yourself from. Give yourself
permission to decline the activities that take too much from your
energy supply. Saying no to the energy drains may mean you have
to ask for help.
Sometimes in
life we have to do things we don’t particularly care for. At times,
we can rectify the problem by changing our situation. We can find
a new job or hire someone to do the housecleaning. Other times,
we don’t have a choice about our life circumstances. Life hands
us matters we have no control over. This is when our attitude
must prevail. Remember, you are the author of your story and you
can choose how you are going to respond to the unpleasantness
of life. Find ways to make the mundane exciting. Relieve the stress
and tension with humor. Soften the sadness and pain with sweetness.
And to help
us with our attitude and our ability to cultivate joy at all times
during life, God is available. We can choose to connect
to His love, His strength, His joy and His peace at any time during
the day. By staying conscious of our moods and feelings,
we can tell very quickly when we fall off the path of joyful living.
Immediately make a choice to say yes to the belief that joy is
possible, intentionally create joy, eliminate any energy drains,
and reconnect with the one and only Source for infinite joy. |
