Life isn’t always exciting and sometimes you’re better off kicking back and finding joy in the ordinary.
Sometimes our lives are stimulating and filled up with trips to the beach and amusement parks. More often than not, we stick closer to home or just stay at home.
Life is better when you can find joy in the peaceful moments. Joy abounds in the pews of an empty sanctuary, in the quiet dark belly of a cave, beside a running stream in the woods, or in a recliner with a fan spinning lazily overhead. If you can latch onto those peaceful moments—really take the time to suck them into your being and let them fill you up—they can bring you immense satisfaction and inspiration.
I find joy in stillness and think everyone can benefit from just being. Stillness is the basic ingredient of so many things; prayer, meditation, yoga. Being idle doesn’t necessarily mean you are being lazy or slothful. It just means you are open to your surroundings and allowing your mind time to make random connections.
One well-documented source of joy is found in spending the day reading. Books can take your imagination from the steppes of Russia to another galaxy and everywhere in between. You can live another person’s life or watch strangers live their lives. You can learn about the latest breakthroughs in particle physics or new ways to prepare meals.
Tomorrow, we are going out as a family to have some fun. We were going to take an expensive day-trip to fill our lives up with excitement, but instead we’re going to dial it back a notch. We’re going to go to a park or to the woods. We may carry a picnic basket or we may just enjoy each other’s company.
I think we’re just going to roam and see where the winds take us.
We may look for life’s answers in the bark of a gnarled tree, or listen for God in the running water. I’m taking us on a quest to find joy in the ordinary.