I’ve been seeing a trend with my private clients lately, and with many of the women who write and share their stories with me. In a normal conversation between friends it’s sometimes hard to put your finger on, and it’s certainly not the first thing that comes to mind in a general discussion.
But when I listen to the stories, and when I start to see the grey creep in and the colour seep out, this is the question I seem to be asking more than many others at the moment.
Where are your moments of joy?
I wonder if you can answer that. In the busyness of your days, the blur of your weeks and in the rush of your life.
Can you pin point the joy?
With one woman I was working with recently, in the midst of a business strategy session, I asked her this question. She had to really pause and think. And then the answer, almost shamefully and with tears in her eyes….’I actually can’t recall the last time I felt joy….not even a moment of it’.
A startling thing to realise. And a reason to pause.
When I asked her to dig a little deeper, the moments were there. Harder to spot perhaps, and they were micro moments, but they were there, as they may be for you. The morning coffee. A moment of sunshine in a gloomy day. The kiss on your cheek from a child. A few pages of your favourite book in a crazy day. A two minute meditation. And sleep, oh sleep. Or just the thought of it.
Where are your moments? Where would you like them to be?
Your assignment if you are willing – create two lists:
One – keep a notebook with you for the next week and write down any moment of joy you experience, no matter how small.
Two – create a list of moments of joy you would like to have in your life. Then mindfully bring them in.
Joy. We can’t really flourish without those special moments, and we need to be present to them and where they show up. You deserve them in your life every single day. A worthy mission, and well worth your time, wouldn’t you say?
Looking for more moments of joy? Get your free 12 Rules For Balanced Women bundle here.
Originally published at Psychology Today