YET, there are also many sources of joy. Joy and gratefulness are tried and true antidotes to the above list. Acknowledging the need for joy and gratefulness is not mutually exclusive from dealing with the real issues unfolding in this world. I am not suggesting burying one's head in the sand. Still, if we are not careful we begin to slide down a slippery slope of negativity that is not only slippery but steep. Have you ever tried to get out of a deep hole surrounded by slippery and steep walls? NOT easy.
Sometimes, baby steps of joy, especially if one has been sliding down the slippery slope of discouragement, negativity, frustration, fear, etc...are REALLY important. I am not giving a prescription to true depression, or chemical imbalances. This is a blog about more simplistic things, for people who have merely forgotten HOW to know, practice, and recognize joy in the simple things.
This is a simple blog post written by a simple woman. I am not a doctor, or psychiatrist, or any particular expert in any particular field. Just a 40-something woman feeling her way around this crazy thing called life. Some things have worked, some things have not. Finding joy in simple things REALLY works for me. So I wanted to share.
Pick something, anything, that makes you smile. Keep it clean, buster(ette)! This is a family blog. I mean something that really makes you happy. Only YOU know what it is. I also don't mean something wishful. Think of something SIMPLE. Perhaps a walk. Perhaps pausing to hear that cheerful song of a bird in tree in your front yard. I'm aiming to get you to think about something really simple. Maybe it's a few minutes of stretching, or looking at a flower, or painting your nails. OF COURSE there are deep wells of joy that come from a Source that is AMAZING and long-lasting...that is a deeper thing. The goal of this blog is to keep it simple.
There is nothing to feel guilty about when thinking about something simple and sweet and lovely, and getting it. FOR YOU. ALL for you. A good old taking, for yourself. YES...listen you WOMEN out there. We often feel so guilting for wanting, taking, or needing anything for ourselves. I'm not talking about a big blow-out vacation here. I am talking about a little sparkle-tinkly event of joy. Think of something....that's it.....hold it in your mind and heart, and go do it, get it, grab it, laugh with it, smile with it.
Some examples? Glad you asked. I LOVE chai. I really don't like coffee (much to the horror and misunderstanding of my coffee-snob husband). I love the milky color. I love the origins of chai (it's from India, and it reminds me of what I love about other places in the world...different and interesting). I love the spices in chai ("traditionally prepared by a decoction of green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorn together with black tea leaves"--from Wikipedia). I LOVE the journey and adventure of trying to find the MOST amazing chai. Wherever I travel, I try to find chai. It's silly, really. It's just a beverage. Yet, WHEN I find some good chai, it makes me SMILE! I celebrate the place that successfully made it. You could say it's an obsession, maybe. I think more importantly, it's just fun. Wonderful fun. My kids know how much I love chai, and they think it's fun too. I always give them sips of whatever chai I find. They are developing an appreciation for chai. FUN!
One more simple pleasure is my love of Ireland. YES, how complicated it is to GO THERE. It's pricey, eh? Yet, the simple-pleasure part is that sometimes I watch a movie filmed in Ireland, and it makes me happy. Sometimes I re-post an image from places I love in Ireland, and it's REALLY satisfying. Sometimes I see a picture of a leprechaun, and I laugh because it reminds me of how we, as humans, have vast imaginations.
Are there things that you really love? Ok, now see, take, eat, taste, touch, imagine it...relish it. Smile about it. Share it. Joy is POWERFUL.
Cheers!
<3 Where is THAT chai from? ;)
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