I’ve read that an increased sense of joy is the result of being grateful.  That makes sense to me so I’ve decided to pay particular attention to the kinds of things that bring me joy. It occurs to me that much is lost in the hustle and bustle of each day. I have so much to be thankful for and yet I’m often too busy or preoccupied to see and appreciate each one. By writing down five things I’m grateful for at the end of each day, I’m becoming more attuned with what brings me joy.  Here are a few I’ve identified in my initial attempts:

That first sip of coffee in the morning!  Oh joy!!

A small blue rock gifted to me by my exuberant six-year-old granddaughter, on which she lovingly painted a rainbow alongside “I LOVE GRAMA.” It brings a smile to my lips and tugs on my heart every time my eyes fall on it… which is every day!

My husband is in the habit of making the bed right away whenever he gets up after me.  I wish I could say the same when I’m the last one up.  Instead, I usually wait for his help.  So when I walk into the bedroom to find the bed already made, it screams “I LOVE YOU!”   It’s a very small gesture in the scheme of things, I know, but it warms my heart in an immeasurable way.  Or when I come to unpack the dishwasher and find that he’s already done it before he left for work.  I’m greeted with another little thing that only took minutes, but says to me, “Just wanted to make your day a little bit easier.”  In my book, these qualify as things that bring me joy.

A friend, after learning that I’m stuck home at lunchtime on my birthday, due to waiting for a technician to show up in that “two-hour window,” brings takeout from a restaurant so we can still celebrate my birthday.  This tickles my heart!

A neighbor appears at my door with the thumb brace her doctor recommended for her when she sprained her thumb as I’ve just done. Her care, concern and kindness even more than the brace are precious treasures that can too easily be overlooked!

I thought I’d have to approach this effort as a detective trying to discover what things bring me joy.  I’m not sure discovering things that are hidden in plain sight qualifies as an effort.  I think that training myself to see and appreciate simple things more readily, though, will also increase my ability to detect things that lie a bit deeper and are less easily noticeable.

I believe that joy and grace increase exponentially once we create the habit of identifying those ‘joyful moments’ in our lives.  And what’s more, it’s contagious to those around us. This is one virus I don’t mind spreading!  😊

~Zanne

InSearchOfAuthenticity.com

© 2019 Zanne