Do you experience Life, or are you just living?
Does each minute, each moment resonate, or are you wishing time away?
Are you present, or is time washing over you in a blur?
These questions are difficult to answer, especially if the answers come from the second half of the questions.
But, it is never too late to recalibrate, re-prioritize, and start being an active participant in your life.
As routines fall into place, bills need to be paid, and Life's demands start to pile up, it is incredibly easy to get bogged down in endless to-do lists, a work/sleep cycle, and no time to "stop and smell the roses". But, that is not Life, it is just living.
The goal is balance.
B-A-L-A-N-C-E.
Finding time for sleeping, eating, working, chores, and errands needs to be balanced with finding and experiencing joy.
Joy is different for everyone. For some, reading, pampering, and watching television brings joy. For others, sport, competition, and activity sparks joy. Still, others will have an entirely different criteria for joy. And some may not have any idea what brings them joy at all.
That is part of the problem in American life today. Joy has been all but omitted by most. In turn, joy has been replaced by fear, paranoia, insomnia, and an over-inflated sense of self-sacrifice. Healthy eating, exercise, sleep, and relaxation are no longer priorities and so many suffer.
It is time to put "You" back in your life's equation.
Start small.
For one week, carve out a mere five minutes for yourself. That's right, only 300 seconds. Think about what makes you joyful. If you already know, make a plan or embark on doing it, whatever it is. Five minutes a day for a week. If you don't know what truly brings you joy, use the five minutes each day to explore what that might be for you.
The next week, week two, spend 15 minutes exploring your joy. Set a timer. Let your mind go.
During week three expand the daily time to 20 minutes per day. That is a solid dose of time!
And, finally, on week four, take a full 30 minutes.
When this fits into your life easily and happily, you are well on your way to a more joyful life.
When you feel you can spare more time - do it!
You are worth the investment in time, and you deserve to have a life filled with Joy!
