Monday, July 8, 2013

On Seeking Joy

Somewhere over the last few months I had misplaced joy. I won't say I lost it because deep down, I know joy is always there, it just gets covered up and buried under heaps of busyness, overwhelm and forgetting to practice self-care regularly.

I've been lost deep in my new job as an Executive Director of a non-profit that inspires kids to find their spark, their passion and find ways to use that to change the world.

Isn't this what I've wanted for years? A job where I could impact change in my community, with a safe pay check and benefits so that I could heal? But somehow, healing has been the farthest thing from me lately. I feel the pressure to do my job so well that it has become all-consuming. Where is the balance between working hard and being successful at your job and having a joyful, healthy, abundant personal life?

There is a saying that goes: make a life, not just a living (perhaps it's even a Jason Mraz lyric...).

So how does one change the world in a corporate setting, while maintaining radical self-care? Here is what I'm thinking about it lately:

1. Define what's really important to you. Then examine your life - does it match up? If what is truly important to you doesn't have much presence in your life, something needs to change. If I claim that what is most important to me is: my family and friends, health and creativity, but spend most of my time working, stressed out and frazzled, it's time to reevaluate.

2. Create boundaries. Once you have declared what is most important to you, create boundaries to keep you sane and focused. Create time for what is important to you, even if it means turning off your phone after work, or unplugging from the computer after dinner to ensure you have time to connect with your soul's purpose.

3. Start each day with meditation to ground yourself. Even 5-10 minutes of meditation can help you stay calm and focused on what's really important to you and serves as a check-in to make sure you stay on course and don't fall back into patterns that keep you from your focus.

4. Honor yourself. Knowing what you value, having a plan to make it part of your life and keep you balanced is a radical act of self-love and self-care. It's not a luxury, it's a necessary part of your health, sanity and soul-care.

5. Let Go. If you discover that you are regularly out of balance, and that your life doesn't reflect your values, then it's time to let go. Letting go doesn't mean that you are weak, impractical or selfish - it means that you know yourself well enough to know what you need to thrive and succeed at life and are willing to make sure you give yourself the care you need to bring your best self to the world.

So the question now is, are you living well, or simply getting by? Seek your wildest joy and you'll be amazed at how beautifully life comes together!

1 comment:

  1. That makes a lot if sense. It is so easy to get caught up in work no matter how fulfilling. Taking a step back and asking questions brings it all into perspective.

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