Accessible Joy
When life gets overwhelming it feels like drowning. Your arms get tired of treading water. The things you try to use as life rafts (i.e., Eating, drinking, or shopping) just make you sink even deeper. The overpowering waters that are pulling you under might be grief, debt, anxiety, or a combination of all three. I’ve been there, but lately I feel like I’ve been able to come up for air.
Things like books, quality time with good friends and loved ones, sunshine, live music, and time in nature have given me the buoyancy I need to stay afloat. Now it’s like I’m lying on my back, supported by the caress of calm and soothing waves, looking at the beautiful blue sky and soft white clouds, while soaking up the sunshine.
We think it’s the big wins and successes that will finally make us happy, but sometimes it’s the tiny things that are easily accessible to us that support us in cultivating joy. Here are a few strategies to consider on your joy journey.
Elimination Diet. When people are sick and they can’t figure out why, they are advised by medical professionals to eliminate certain things from their diet to see if it makes a difference. Make a list of things and people that might be having an adverse impact on your mental and physical health. Try eliminating one of them for a day, a week, or a month and take notice of how its absence influences your energy and wellbeing.
Life Jackets. Think back to the last time you felt a natural high so good you felt like you were floating. What were the conditions that made it so? I literally felt high after attending a powerful and inspiring lecture a few weeks ago. I remember thinking, “Who needs food, wine, or other substances when making time for things that you love like this makes you feel so good!” Tap into the things that give you energy back. This might look like time with people who light you up, attending free cultural, arts, or live music events in your community, or spending a few hours or a day in nature.
Simple Pleasures. Last week I paid off my car note. To celebrate I treated myself to a scented candle, fresh flowers, and a new plant stand. These are all small things that seem so simple, yet they bring me so much joy. What are some simple pleasures that you might delight in to celebrate even the smallest win?
This week I challenge you to run toward joy. Cultivate relationships and curate experiences that leave you feeling like you are floating, flying, or embraced by the warmth and beauty of sunshine.
Manifestation Affirmations
I am cultivating joy.
I am releasing things that adversely impact my energy.
I am in proximity to people who delight me.