Lessons from looking for joy

As a part of my Savoring Summer challenge, I've spent the last 2 weeks looking for moments of joy each day and savoring those moments. Here's what I've learned from this experience so far:

YOU FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

This is a lesson that's on repeat. Whatever we focus on in our lives gets bigger. This happens EVERY TIME. As I've chosen to look for moments of joy, I've found more things that feel joyful.

JOY REQUIRES OPENNESS.

When I first started this challenge, it felt a little like my gratitude challenge. What I noticed eventually is that to me, gratitude feels more passive. With gratitude, I'm usually looking at my overall life and appreciating things from a distance. Often I'm looking to the past.

Joy is more active. To feel joy, you have to be present in the moment. Joy feels more playful. And with joy, you have to be willing to say yes to the moment you're in.

JOY MAKES EVERY DAY BETTER.

Not every day has been great. Of course, there have been days with frustration, anger, sadness, and stress.

Those days, I had to choose to consciously look for moments of joy. 100% of the time, this made my day better.

If you didn't join the challenge, it's not too late to experiment!! Take the next 2 weeks to commit to cultivating and savoring moments of joy.

To get started, simply ask yourself these questions:

What do I WANT to do today?

What would be enjoyable?

What's one simple thing that would give me joy?

Have fun exploring joy. And let me know what YOU learn.

Much love and joy,

Mendy