Experiencing Joy

When was the last time you felt unbridled joy? An unexpected belly laugh in response to a child’s antics? A profound awe or reverence for nature? A deep appreciation of something good that happened? A blissful moment? A meaningful, vulnerable, connection with another?

Maybe it was earlier today. But maybe it has been awhile.

Joy goes by many names. Happiness. Appreciation. Awe. Bliss. Delight. Wonder. It’s an open-hearted experience, often accompanied by a sense of warmth and expansion in your chest. It feels damn good.

Joy is something that comes freely to children. It’s easy to conjure an image of children laughing and playing together. However, as we become adults with more serious life responsibilities, the opportunities for unfettered joy usually wane.

But you can do something about this by choosing to be intentional with cultivating joy. What if you created an opportunity to experience joy every day, or at a minimum, every week?

Grab a pen and paper right now and write down what comes to mind when you think about what feels joyous to you. What are examples of activities, interactions, or experiences that specifically bring you joy, deep appreciation, laughter, reverence, or connection?

Now, what can you do today to create an opportunity for joy?

Once you and your partner have spent a few minutes brainstorming separately and writing down your thoughts on joy, discuss what you each wrote. Then talk about how you can “schedule in” times for these kinds of experiences both separately and together. If possible, do one of them today.

EnJOY. ;)