Do you ever find yourself just tired of everything and wanting a change, no matter what it is, because everything is so monotonous and routine that you’re just sick of it all?
Some people call it boredom, or being burned out, and I guess that’s part of it…but I think mostly it’s just a failure to take joy in life. To me, life is a precious and amazing gift – an utter miracle with a million to one odds against it ever occurring. Whether you are a creationist or an evolutionist, or somewhere in between, you have to recognize that. If you’re a creationist, you already know (or should know) that it’s a miracle. If you’re an evolutionist, you realize that the odds against that initial spark of life occurring at just the right moment for it to thrive are astronomical. So either way, it’s completely miraculous.
So it should be savored. It should be embraced and adored and luxuriated in. It should be given every encouragement, nurtured, cradled, protected. It should be celebrated, its wonderfulness should be shouted to the heavens. Every single second we have should be an exercise in joy and love and thankfulness.
How often do we really do that? In our lives, in the modern world, with few exceptions we are not taught this. Schools don’t schedule 20-minute “joyfulness breaks”; workplaces don’t send out memos reminding us to exult in life. Too often, even religious institutions don’t spend a lot of time reminding us to make a joyful noise; they spend a lot of time reminding us what we’re not supposed to do, but not much time telling us how great it is that we’re even walking the earth.
We don’t eat joyfully, which is a big part of why so many of us get so unhealthy. We don’t walk joyfully or clean house joyfully or read the paper joyfully. We certainly don’t make that morning commute joyfully! 🙂 We spend so much time doing so many things, without real joy or love of life. I think that’s very sad.
I want to be joyful. I want to love life. I want to be so happy to be here that I appreciate the time I am given, so that when it is eventually over I can go into that “great and endless ring of light” knowing that I was given an amazing gift, and that I savored it. I don’t want regrets, and I don’t want anyone I’ve left behind to have regrets, because I want everyone who ever knew me to understand that I lived joyfully, and accepted every gift that I was given.
That’s my wish. That’s my task. To remember to take joy in everything. To have a quiet, open, and joyful mind and heart, and to allow the loving, joyous gifts of the world to touch me whenever possible. And when the difficult times come, if I have embraced and absorbed that love and joy, then I will be stronger, and I can wrap myself in them to blunt the sharp edges of those times.
I know this. But often I forget. The tiresome, joyless details we pile into life distract us from the amazing brilliance that’s out there. So today I am making myself a promise, to try to remember. To open myself to the joy that’s out there and let it in – and to let it back out, when it’s time to pass it on.
Have a wonderful weekend, and may you see and absorb all the joy that’s there.
huh.
the FAILURE TO FIND JOY IN LIFE hit home with me.
my life is SO ROUTINIZED (mainly Toddler but Hubby adores his routine as well.) which is not my natural state.
at times.
many times.
I lament this routine. (inside. to myself. im not that mean :))
your words SO struck a chord with me.
Miz.
I agree with MizFit – completely! I NEEDED this message today. And I forwarded it to several people who I believe need to hear it to!
Thank you!!!!
IzzyBeth
What a delightful post! There’s time in EVERY day to find a few minutes for bliss. I call mine The Happy Hour. It’s just after work and/or training, and it’s usually 20-30 minutes to just turn up my face to the sun (or moon, on occasion *g*) and be blissful. It’s every bit as energizing as a walk or bike ride, and I don’t get nearly as sweaty. 🙂
Hope you’re having a joyful weekend!