MAKING ROOM FOR JOY ~ FINDING MORE HAPPINESS IN MIDLIFE AND BEYOND
I’m writing this post as much for myself as I am for anyone else! I’m working harder now than I ever have, and somewhere along the way, the idea of simply slowing down and enjoying life gets lost. It’s ALWAYS on my mind to stop, take a break, and make more room for the things that bring me JOY. But knowing I need to do it and actually DOING IT are honestly two very different things!
I have to make a conscious effort to slow down, be present, and remind myself that life ins’t just about getting things done. It’s about ENJOYING it along the way. And perhaps that’s exactly why I wanted to write about MAKING ROOM FOR JOY!
SHOP A SIMILAR LOOK….. JACKET ~ PANTS ~ BOOTS ~ TEE
Life gets busy, doesn’t it? Between responsibilities, routines, family, and everything else competing for our attention, it’s easy to put JOY at the bottom of the list. We tell ourselves we’ll relax when things settle down, or we’ll do something FUN when we have more time. Just this week a friend called me last minute to go play pickleball. I told her no, there just wasn’t enough time in my day to do what I needed to do as it was. My husband got home and pointed out to me that it was probably what I needed most! He was right………. making room for joy is something we need to start doing RIGHT NOW?
SHOP SIMILAR LOOK HERE….. JACKET ~ OR THIS JACKET ~ BEANIE ~ SUNNIES
JOY DOESN’T HAVE TO BE SOMETHING BIG
I’ve learned that some of life’s happiest moments are also the simplest. You know what I’m talking about, right? A walk with your spouse after dinner, a phone call with your granddaughter, or wearing something that makes you feel like a million bucks. None of these require a special occasion! Sometimes we’re so focused on what’s NEXT that we forget to appreciate what’s happening right in front of us. I’m so guilty of this, and am constantly working on it!
LET GO OF WHAT’S TAKING UP SPACE
Making room for joy also means recognizing what’s stealing it. Maybe it’s an overpacked schedule….. that would be ME, or unnecessary worry, yep, me again! Or feeling like we have to do it all. I can think of so many things that seem like they’d be easy to let go of, but somehow they’re not!
As we get older, I think we become more aware of just how valuable our time really is. So why do we spend so much of it on things that leave us feeling drained? It’s easy to say we should slow down, worry less, and let things go. But actually DOING those things? That’s a whole different story!
I’m probably the BEST at protecting my time, and saying no. That hasn’t always been the case, but I’m absolutely not afraid to do it now. It’s okay to say NO. It’s okay to change your mind. And it’s certainly okay to choose what makes YOU happy!
SHOP A SIMILAR LOOK….. PANTS ~ SWEATER ~ BELT
GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO ENJOY LIFE
Here’s something I’ve been thinking about lately. We don’t have to earn our happiness by finishing every task on our list. Wear the special outfit. Plan the lunch. Take the trip. Try something NEW. And most importantly stop waiting for the perfect moment! The time is NOW!
JOY ISN’T SOMETHING WE SHOULD SQUEEZE INTO WHATEVER TIME IS LEFT OVER. IT’S SOMETHING WORTH MAKING ROOM FOR.
I can’t think of a better way to spend our days!
