LIFE IS NOT ABOUT LIVING TO FULFILL YOUR DREAMS..OR TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.. YOUR LIVING UP TO THE SOCIETY'S EXPECTATIONS... IT'S ALL ABOUT RECREATING YOURSELF
There have been many things that I’ve chased in my life: certifications, grades,promotions, friendships, health, security, clarity, confidence…the list goes on.
It’s only recently, however, that I discovered that the only thing that I really needed to chase was joy.
We live in a society that tends to value achievement over fulfillment and busyness over inner peace. We feel pressured to always be working towards a goal. Always creating, building, and striving.
We really aren’t encouraged to take time to sit with ourselves, to connect with our inner voice, and to allow our journey through life to unfold. In fact, taking time to savor everyday moments is often perceived as lazy or a luxury.
It wasn’t long ago that I was feeling overwhelmed by my life. I was getting caught in the cycle of busy. I was feeling the weight of being a student and daughter or a sister . Everyday life was starting to feel heavy, and I noticed that I was often feeling stressed out and frustrated throughout the day. I started to wonder if it was possible to experience more ease and joy as I continued to navigate the challenges that came up and worked towards my goals.
Rather than crumble under the weight I was feeling, I made a choice to chase joy over achievement. I didn’t really know where to start, so I began by simply taking three minutes each day to self analyze myself about what I actually needed that day. Those three minutes started a shift that created a complete re prioritization of what was important in my life.
I felt drawn to the practices that first started me on my journey inward several years ago. I started reincorporating these practices in short bursts throughout my day. I took the time to notice the things that were going great in my life. I worked on spending more time with the people I cared about.
Slowly, I started noticing a change. I was spending a lot more time feeling at ease, feeling grateful and feeling content than I had been in a long time.
It became very clear to me that chasing any sort of external accomplishments or recognition would never lead to the kind of internal joy that most of us crave. Sure, reaching our goals can be fantastic, but the journey towards them can be equally as fantastic, if not better!
I realized that we don’t have to wait for any change in our lives, any circumstance to happen or go away, or any person to enter or leave our lives to start feeling good. We can start chasing joy today.
How can you chase joy in your everyday life? What makes you feel inspired? Grateful? Alive? How can you bring more of those experiences into your life, even just as mini bursts of joy throughout your day? It’s amazing how even just 3 minutes can change your day.
Imagine how your life might change if you made chasing joy your priority. Try it for yourself and see!
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