There’s a lot of little ways to find joy each day if we’re looking for it. And that is important, because a ‘good life’ emerges as the result of what we find.
I was clearing Dad’s dishes and there was an ad on for a sitcom. A guy wanted to talk to his teenaged daughter about his new girlfriend sleeping over. She replied, “Is it okay with her parents?”
That’s a great answer. And a nice piece of writing. Our brains have to get good at catching those millions of little chances to be joyful or grateful. In that case, just that I was grateful for the laugh and for the creative people that created it.
Without them, my life would be worse by one laugh. I could have used that same moment to think about something painful. See how easy the math works? We can move towards the wisest possible good or acceptable feeling, or we can volunteer to torture ourselves with our own unproductive thinking.
I could have easily justified accurate thoughts about how Dad and Mom and I have been shut in for close to a year and all of the legitimate complaints we could make. That’s real and true and painful. But…
But that is an ugly unpleasant thought that gains me nothing by thinking it. Which is why my awareness is always attuned to finding the universe’s joys and wonders bubbling up to the surface. Just like that ad. These sources are literally everywhere.
Dogs faces, beams of sunshine, babies, comedians, fond memories, friendly waves, tasty food, someone letting us into traffic, something that normally doesn’t work actually working, people dressed in clothes you like, actually looking at things like flowers etc. as we walk past them. etc. etc. etc.
What small sources of joy can you find today, and how much of your day does that add up to? The answer is: as much as you make it add up to. So enjoy your day. Consciously.
We can slowly destroy ourselves and our lives by a ‘death by a thousand tiny cuts.’ Or, we can save ourselves with a ‘life, filled with thousands of small joys and graces.’
Don’t live unconsciously, live by habit. Bring your consciousness to life. Apply it intentionally. And a new life will emerge from those new behaviours. Don’t forget to enjoy it. 🙂
peace s
A serious childhood brain injury lead Scott to spend his entire life meditating on the concepts of thought, consciousness, reality and identity. It made others as strange to him as he was to them. When he realized people were confused by their own over-thinking, Scott began teaching others to understand reality. He is currently CBC Radio Active’s Wellness Columnist, as well as a writer, speaker and mindfulness instructor based in Edmonton, AB where he still finds it strange to write about himself in the third person.