May Joy

My focus this May is joy, contentment, self expression and play, and so this month I'm going to blog some of my ideas on this subject. 

Joy is a deep feeling, maybe too much to expect, a little over the top; most days I'm satisfied to feel calm and grounded, perhaps even mostly happy. But I think when we open to the possibility of feeling joyful we set the tone of the day to one of playful expectation. 

I'm not a bubbly person, but I have optimism: Even when things look bleak (which, let's face it, they generally do) I am able to get on with life. I do not advocate for "finding the silver lining" very often, because that is generally an exercise in denial of the full catastrophe we are in; what I do is acknowledge how crummy things are, then go ahead and celebrate the good bits.

Agenda this Month:

1. Read (and Practice) the Happiness Habit

2. Express myself

3. Celebrate the good bits

1. Read (and Practice) the Happiness Habit:

I'm reading a book called "Happiness is a Habit: Simple Daily Rituals that Increase Energy, Improve Well-being, and Add Joy to Every Day", by Michele Phillips. Anyone who knows me will see right away that this book was irresistible!

Habit 1 is Cultivate Patience. Start slowly and build momentum; tolerate delay; and set realistic expectations. Patience is not my best trait, so how can I develop it? She suggests that I find a quote or mantra to say whenever I get impatient or restless.

My mantra is: "Take a breath; what's the rush?"

Habit 2 is Get Enough Sleep. No problem with that - I love to sleep.

Habit 3 is Visualize Your Tomorrow Tonight. Whoops. Maybe that works for you, but not me ... thinking about tomorrow at bedtime negatively impacts my sleep - it's a pretty sure way for me to end up with insomnia. My brain begins to obsess about details and wakes me up with worries. What I do instead is visualize my day in the morning, sometimes before I totally wake up. The first thing I think is, "This is Wednesday. I get to take a long walk with my grandson! Yay! Also, it's going to be sunny so we can plant sunflowers today."  Then I pop awake and start my day.

2. Express myself:

The pure, childlike quality of joy within me supports my spontaneous, innovative, creative spirit, and gives me the self-confidence to express myself with honesty and integrity. 

Self-expression is sharing myself with others, with thoughtful conversations, with writing, or with artwork; it flows from me best when I am grounded and in harmony, and that's when others are best able to receive and hear (or see) what it is I'm expressing. Self-expression also supports joy, because it is fulfilling - it allows me to contribute to the world.

“If you have the words, there’s always a chance that you’ll find the way.” Seamus Heaney

3. Celebrate the good bits:

This week (so far) the good bits are a scavenger hunt, a birthday party picnic, extra time with our grandson, and planting seedlings in the garden.