This is perhaps my favorite quote. I don’t know who said it. I found it painted on a wall in LA while I was there visiting my youngest sister. I was in a bad mood and sat down for breakfast and there it was on the wall across the way from me. I cast my eyes to the ground. I studied the menu. I looked at the sky. I glared at the person sitting across the table from me.
We put in our order. And there it was again! I determined to be annoyed that someone would have the gall to script something so positive on a wall. But I couldn’t help myself. I started to think about it. It’s actually very wonderful to be joyful about things. I started to think about what my joys are and the things that make me so happy to tell people about. I found my mood improving – not because whatever I was troubled about suddenly ceased to be troubling, but because my mindset shifted. I find that the power of mindset is absolutely incredible. I know I am not the first person to comment on this. It’s one of the few things we have control over! You would think we would be more proactive in gaining ground with it.
What happens when we share our joys? We give ourselves a moment of reprieve from the weighty things of our lives that we can’t control. We remember that we are living in this moment, not in five minutes or three years. We find ourselves in a space of kindness and gratitude – kindness from what we have received and gratitude for it. And when we share those things with others, we give them a glimpse into ourselves as well as give them an opportunity to share their joys as well. It’s a powerful thing!
Your activity: set the clock for three minutes. Write a list of all the joys that come to mind. Then go back and write why they are your joys. When the time is up, commit to sharing at least one of your joys with someone today.