Hey friends!
I’m just going to throw this out there… if the pandemic has taught my anything it’s that I am truly blessed and truly a homebody. I suppose I knew this pre-pandemic, but it has been eye opening in the last year.
A lot of my personal development this year has been focused on the idea of joy and how I have the power to decide how much joy I allow in my life. Here’s what I’ve learned:
Joy has nothing to do with circumstances.
So often we let our circumstances dictate our happiness. Once I get my dream job I’ll be happy. When I meet my soul-mate I’ll be happy. When I get that bigger house I’ll be happy. And I’m just as guilty as the next person when it comes to this destination addiction. But what if we trained ourselves to be happy despite what is or isn’t happening in our lives? What if we were able to find joy even when our circumstances don’t seem ideal? I think we would find ourselves in a more consistent state of greener grass and fuller cups!
Today is all about the 5 things giving my joy right now!
1. One-on-one time with family and friends
As a kid, I loved going to my grandparent’s house every summer for horse camp (yes, I realize how un-cool this makes me!) I would spend the day at camp and the evenings being spoiled with my grandparent’s attention and grandma’s famous marble brownies. As the oldest of four kids, it was rare to get one-on-one attention, and now that I’m an adult I realize just how important it is to spend alone time with those you love. I have found that the best stories and advice are revealed in these rare and beautiful moments.
2. Journaling
I think it’s pretty evident that I love to write! For me, it’s a form of expression and grounding, reflection, and even prayer. I recently stumbled across my journal from 2019-2020. I read through my scribbled notes and silly sentiments. I think that so much of our self worth has to do with what we allow our minds to say about ourselves. Don’t say things to yourself you wouldn’t say to a friend!
3. Doing things for others
It’s no secret that you experience a little high when you step out and do something nice for someone else. Being generous with your time, energy and money is a great way to grace others! It doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture. I love surprising a friend with coffee or offering to pick something up from the grocery store for my mom. I have a community of friends and family that do so much for me. It feels good to give back in small ways!
4. Trying something new
This is a tough one for me because I’m a creature of habit! But lately I’ve been challenging myself to try new things from time to time, and I’m really enjoying it! Honestly, this blog is one way I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone in the last year. Although blogging wasn’t entirely new to me, I constantly share new content, and that can be scary! But it can also be very freeing. I’ve also been trying new recipes and foods that I don’t normally eat, and recently discovered that I really like bell peppers… who knew?!
5. Doing things I love
There’s a few simple things that will always bring me joy: my morning coffee, spending time with Jesus, chatting with a friend, shopping, decorating, diffusing oils and lighting candles…and the list goes on. I love taking time each day to sit and soak in all that this wonderful life has blessed me with.
What’s bringing you joy? I genuinely want to know, so tell me in the comments!
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