Embracing Joy

Life has taught me that joy is not something that simply happens to us. We must cultivate joy each day, through intention, mind set, observance, gratitude, and action. Seems like a big project? Well, let’s be honest, with our busy lives, cultivating joy can be a difficult habit to create. But while the habit of embracing joy might be a journey, the people, things, and circumstances that cause true joy are all around us. Marcel Proust captured it perfectly in one of my favorite quotes.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

Several years ago, I realized I was rarely able to connect with joy. In January 2018, I began a journey to “embrace joy” on a daily basis. I had been living my life seeking and expecting joy in monumental moments. Today, my highest goal is to feel joy in the absence of monumental moments…to look for and recognize joy in both the ordinary and extraordinary moments I experience each day.

While I’m a Joy Advocate, I certainly don’t claim to be a Joy Expert. I hope each of you use any posts for food for thought on your personal joy journey and share your insights on what brings you joy, because joy, like a smile, is contagious!

Earlier this summer I took a weekend trip to visit my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, Madison. At night, my sister and I would take a stroll around the beautifully lit Capitol building—evoking fond, but very different, memories for each of us. I hadn’t been back to Madison for over 7 years so the first day, I was filled with nostalgia that caused me to consider what it would be like to live in this vibrant city. My thoughts by the end of the second day reflected—like the image of the Capitol on surrounding buildings—my realization that memories are meant to be cherished for what WAS, not as a sign to return to the comfort of the past. I have changed so much since my college days and my future should reflect those changes! So now, I embrace the beauty and joy of past memories, but I appreciate they will disappear as quickly as the reflection of the Capitol did as I walked past the next building—and that’s a very good thing, because it forces me to focus on moving towards the JOY of NEW adventures and possibilities!

How about you? Is there a time, place, or person in your life that you can appreciate for what it/they brought to you, even if for only a short time?

CINDY SPECHT

CINDY SPECHT

Embrace Joy Blog

CINDY SPECHT

Embracing Joy

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