Five Minute Friday- Joy
I wasn’t going to post today but the with word JOY as Lisa-Jo’s prompt this week. I felt like I just had to. . .
Anyway, here are the Five Minute Friday rules again: We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that Lisa Jo posts at one minute past midnight EST ever Friday. No major editing (so forgive grammar/spelling mistakes) Just unscripted, unedited, real words.
And GO. . .
I’ve had joy on my mind quite a bit lately and have been reading Brene Brown’s (who is just brilliant) book the Gifts of Imperfection.
Just this week I re-read this quote:
Twinkle lights are the perfect metaphor for joy. Joy is not a constant. It comes to us in moments- often ordinary moments. Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we’re too busy chasing down extraordinary moments. Other times we’re so afraid of the dark that we don’t dare let ourselves enjoy the light.
A joyful life is not a floodlight of joy. That would eventually become unbearable.
I believe a joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude, inspiration, and faith.
~ Dr. Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection
I love this quote SO much. I have chased after those extraordinary moments thinking that’s where joy lies and have missed out on the perfectly wonderful everyday, ordinary joys.
But my mind has shifted and I’m being intentional about collecting these moments of joy. The individual twinkle lights in my life that at the end of my days will be strung together and I hope I will be able to look back and think with gratitude that I experienced joy, I loved, I was alive.
Some of my twinkle lights from the last few days:
My husband waking me up with a TGIF and a kiss goodbye in the morning
Spending the day on a “field trip” with my kiddos and then stopping for lunch, just because
Having time in the car with my oldest even if no words were spoken
A kiss good night from my middle boy without any prompting
Tea, cookies and real conversation with a good friend in the middle of the day
And so many others. . .
JOY.
I love this Zohary! . You’re so right. It’s the every day, “ordinary” things that bring joy. We know that because when they’re not there, we miss them. Brene’s book sounds wonderful!
Thanks Caryn! I’m finding that it is totally those ordinary moments that bring joy, it’s what we miss most when they’re gone. I highly recommend Brene’s books. She has done great research on shame and vulnerability. Love ya friend!