With the New Year of 2021 starting much like the ending of 2020, waiting for some future time to bring us “better times” has me feeling like the saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
There is a lot of bad stuff happening here and around the world. There is a lot to feel bad about. At the same time, there is joy lingering, not willing to give up the “good fight”.
Making space for joy can sometimes be a challenge when we are consumed by the ills that surround us and bombard us with their messages of despair.
Yet joy remains ready to surprise us when we open ourselves and make one small tiny change in our daily routine. The list is endless as to what that can be - a 5 minute walk in sunshine, playing a favorite song with the space to move to the music, closing our eyes and listening to all the sounds that surround us, doing a breathing exercise, finding an image that you can stare at and lose yourself in, watching the birds at a bird feeder - it really is all about taking a few minutes, absorbing yourself in paying attention and letting the moment fill you with awe, curiosity, wonder.
Despair, sadness, anger, fear, hopelessness, grief, frustration - those feelings won’t disappear. Life has been happening, life has etched itself upon you in all of its moments. Getting rid of, ignoring, running from all of those feelings/moments is the saying above, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Allowing ourselves time to be filled with whatever shows up with intention to pay attention to the moment helps us release emotions that are ready to leave. Lightness is what we seek for our journey of life. We want to be nimble and not overloaded so that every step becomes a burden. We want to be in those moments, living them and using our emotions to be our “early warning system”, they are there to have us pay attention to a moment and choose a response that fits for the situation. We will choose wisely, we will chose unwisely and no matter what we choose, life will continue in all of its complexity allowing us to change our responses continuously.
Joy, to me, is embracing life as a child full of wonder at everything children see, touch, hear, taste, feel and learning as they go - don’t touch hot things, maybe grass isn’t the best thing to eat, bathing in the sunlight that reaches your face is comforting, self-soothing to fall asleep is a good strategy, playing is fun, stopping to eat gives energy, a nap refreshes, tears are a great release and bring others running to help.
Give space, find space, be the space - the joy you discover will lighten your load and help you be the joy for others on the journey.
My moments of much joy in 2020, continue to bring me joy in the images captured, the joy has lingered waiting for me to give the space to ENJOY. May you find some joy in these photos.
