You know how you somehow just look better on the days when you are really feeling it? That inner glow really does ooze out your pores for every one to see. Living simply, living well is something I aspire to do every day and part of that is to focus on my core. At your core, you should work to feel confident and centered…it begins when you put your feet on the floor and rise from that bed….every….single… day. That inner core thrives on joy. Joy can be huge and joy can be small….found in the minutia of your lifestyle habits. This blog is about harvesting the joyous moments that you might currently be letting pass you by, like a stranger in a crowd.
So you are exercising every day, using essential oils, and eating healthy…now what? Do things that make you happy! Feed your soul, as some like to call it…….focus on your core. We all get in the grind of daily life….work, school, dry cleaners, soccer practice. It is easy to go from one task to the other, especially if you are the mom of the house. You see it on TV and on the net, you know you need mental health breaks…you try hard, but circumstances leave you feeling like a failure. Keep your head up, I am not talking about three hours of pampering, at the spa. I am talking about grabbing those moments that life yields to you and taking just a small amount of time to revel in them. It will make your every day practices and schedule better, and lower your stress level. All leading back to your core…a healthy you, from the inside out.
Joyous means to be full of happiness. I was watching my horses in the pasture the other day, with the sun setting in the distance. In that moment I was full of happiness. The moment lasted about five minutes, but I felt inner bliss, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sun on my face.
Just last month, my husband and I flew out to Los Angeles to visit my son and daughter in law. They both have birthdays in March, so we like to go out and help them celebrate another year. The day we arrived, we took them to dinner to one of their favorite restaurants. It’s a quaint, quite little place known for their steak. As we sat chatting, of course we all ordered steak, I reflected what a perfect evening it was. Catching up and simply enjoying the company of family and a good meal, a perfect hygge moment.
Another example happened just yesterday. I had been having eye issues and the doctor I saw told me I had retinitis. Although I didn’t realize at the time, there is no cure for this condition, and it gets gradually worse and causes blindness. Needless to say, when I made that discovery, I was a mess. Convinced I would soon be blind, I fell into a blackness, depression like I’d never known. The following day, I saw the retina specialist. He ran tests and informed me that I do not have retinitis. I have a condition that can be treated and should clear up with injections and precautionary measures. I sat in that eye exam chair, staring at my doctor, with tears of joy and thankfulness, rolling down my face.
Recently life has brought me joyous moments, in different packages. I have felt joy in small mundane activities, cherished moments with family, and in a temporary medical crisis. Life is like that, one day you are relishing the warmth of the sun in a pasture….the next you are gut-punched by a medical diagnosis. I was lucky this time, treatment is available. I am asking myself though, how would I have behaved if I did not get the good medical diagnosis? Would I have let my emotions drag me to a very dark place, to coincide with the loss of my eyesight? Or would I have practiced what I preach and found the joy sprinkled in, even in the biggest challenges in one’s life?? I like to think the latter.
My wish for you today sounds hokey, but stop and smell those roses…..savor that great meal with your child…it can all change so rapidly. Grab those joyous moments, even with an occasional gut-punch mixed in….that’s life.