On this journey of self-discovery, and my current side-track of self-forgiveness, I’ve come to realise how important it is to pack some essentials to make the trip as wonderful as possible, and importantly, as fulfilling (not daunting!) as it can be. These items include…
exercise – for physical and mental strength; meditation – to calm a racing mind; food – to feed a curious body (arrgggh…not necessarily comfort it! What a challenge.) and a zip lock bag chock full of joy. Too often, when we’re dealing with strong emotions and thoughts we forget about the joyous times in our life. It’s almost like we have happiness amnesia. I believe that as we work through our development,the best medication we can take is a dose of joy. Here’s my joy kit, and I encourage you to gather one for your own journey:
♥ Having a big belly laugh late at night with John. You know those times when the house is quiet and still, and the kids are asleep? For us, that’s the time we’re likely to stumble on something funny that will trigger long, uncontrollable, shared laughter. There’s nothing more special than a giggle with a loved one over a shared moment that probably can’t be recreated with anyone else. Priceless.
♥ Showing Kyson his first rainbow and watching the look on his face. I can still remember the moment as if it were yesterday. We were in our kitchen, and it was late afternoon. It had been raining and although the wet had passed, the clouds were still grey. A rainbow appeared over the hills out the back, and I lifted Kyson up in my arms so he could see its magnificence. He was just over two years old, and although there had been several rainbows already in his short life, we had never stopped to admire one until now. It is a beautiful memory that is all mine.
♥ This song. I absolutely cannot help but smile everytime I hear it. There is no doubt that music effects our mood, and it’s a great idea to keep some joyful mood music handy at all times.
For a particularly joyous version of this song, click here.
♥ Hearing Liam sing. Liam is our performer, and I have been fortunate to hear him sing at lots of venues, singing many different songs and I have loved every minute of it. However, the songs I love to hear the most are the ones that he sings when he isn’t on stage. It’s the songs we hear coming from his bedroom when he is sitting at his computer. It’s the songs he sings in the shower, and it’s the songs he sings around the house. It’s the unintentional moments of joy that I love the most. If you’d like to hear Liam singing click here.
♥ Our family holiday. Almost every year we take a trip north with the whole family for a couple of weeks away. It’s a hectic and noisy time that requires a lot of organisation on my part, but I love it. Family dinners around a candle lit table, sandy towels left on the verandah, late night card games and barefoot bowling. Precious memories.
♥ Ducks and swans. Whenever I am feeling stressed or anxious I immediately think of home and the tranquil lake we live beside. The universe conspires to put us where we need to be, and I certainly appreciate my daily dose of ducks and swans that I can see from my home office. I’ve gone to that place more times than I have physically been there. I just love it.
Of course I have countless other joyous experiences and I am very grateful for all of them,but this little selection are my staples. My “go to” memories when I am feeling a bit down and need a pick-me-up. I highly recommend that you keep your own collection handy too so that during those challenging times, you can take a break and chomp on some joy.They are memory candies. Wishing joy to everyone today xx