Finding Joy In Daily Living
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13Joy is often to be found in the small things of daily life if we take the time to be mindful of them. I've been reading recently about mindfulness. How focusing on the present, rather than on the past, can ease anxiety and discontentment and help us to have clear thinking. This is the online definition I found of mindfulness:
- 1.the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something."their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition"
- 2.a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
(Source: Google online dictionary)
Part of finding joy is being able to notice when God has placed a gift right in front of us. I know for me, the noticing part often is overshadowed by other concerns on my mind. I think about things that have gone wrong much more than things that have gone right. For instance, today I was talking with my husband about aspects of my teaching career and my focus was on some of the many things that "bugged me" during those years rather than on the many things that gave me joy during those years. Each event was important and had merit in my life, but, even so, I find it interesting that my focus, my mindfulness, is often on the negative rather than the positive. Can you relate?
Today, I choose to find joy in the present moment and focus on some of the many gifts that God has placed in front of me. Things like the beautiful Primrose flower sitting on my foyer table with its pink blooms that remind me that Spring is coming eventually.
And the sweet faces of my fur babies who bring such joy to my heart as they scamper about climbing on their cat towers, chasing each other back and forth and snuggling close to the Mr. and me.
These are gifts that keep on giving and remind me that God blesses my life in many ways both large and small.
May you find joy today by being mindful of the gifts, right in front of you, that God has given you.
Blessings,
Debbie
2 comments:
Well, Debbie, we seem to be very "like-minded" right now. I began to journal again recently, and I've been gathering some quotes that are meaningful to me. In the past couple of days, the quotes I recorded are about mindfulness and small joys. I'm going to include 2 or 3 of those quotes so you can see how close our thoughts seem to be. It is helpful for me to hear similar messages from various sources, and your blog post today is a great source for wise words. Thank you!
"If you must look back, do so forgivingly. If you must look forward, do so prayerfully. However the wisest thing you can do is be present in the present gratefully." --Maya Angelou
"Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness." --Pearl Buck
"Try to notice and fall in love with normal daily things like fluffy white meringue, trees, dogs, and the eternal pleasure of chance encounters." --Maira Kelman, author and illustrator
Oh how I can relate to you Debbie! While I still struggle to separate true joy from emotions (this is ongoing), I can relate to how you said that many times it's easier to focus on what bugs us than the gifts right in front of us. Our minds always seem to be in overdrive with what must be done, what could be done and what we tell ourselves we should be doing. Yesterday we had a very rare 60 degree day, sunshine even, so I went to a park near to where I live. Thus is a huge national recreation area and I have a favorite spot on top of a hill where I can sit in silence, except for the wonderful sounds of nature. It is such a restorative thing to do, and will need to be done more often. It is truly a gift to live so close to such a place, and i appreciate your reminder to live in the present moment. I can't tell you how many times I've spoiled the present by jumping mentally to the future. You've given me more to think about. Thank you !
Post a Comment