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!

On a recent glamping trip with my sister I reveled in the JOY of “forest bathing” a term I heard several years ago in an article that professed a multitude of health benefits of walking in areas of intense foliage. As a city gal I don’t often have the opportunity to experience this level of communing with nature. This particular forest was nestled in Harrington Beach State Park, WI. The park is blessed not only with beautiful views of Lake Michigan, but a fields of grass and wildflowers and a gorgeous abandoned quarry enveloped by dense forest with a carpet of ferns. It was a feast for the the eyes and nose! Not long into our journey we were welcomed by four deer, some as close as 15 feet from us. They didn’t move or run away. In fact, to our delight, they seemed to be studying us in equal measure. What a magical experience! Time for a bath folks!

How about you? Where do you find JOY in the escape in nature?

CINDY SPECHT

CINDY SPECHT

Embrace Joy Blog

CINDY SPECHT

Embracing Joy

The Joy of Forest Bathing