Today is one of those days. A day where the temperature isn’t too hot, nor too cold, and the workload light. There’s a slight breeze lifting the room, and I have my music on, a favourite playlist of mine that always makes me feel better.
I’ve had several good conversations with people, conversations that picked me up rather than dragged me down. I’ve drunk enough water, so I don’t have that typical Australian-summer headache happening that lasts all day. I’m steadily getting through my to-do list, but don’t feel stressed about the incomplete tasks. Their time will come. I’m planning on going for an evening run, as well as buying a few necessities.
Days like this are great. So why don’t I live like this all the time, in a bubble of ease and comfort and no worry, stress, or pressure? If I’m honest, some days are just harder than others. Some days are bad days, and some days are good days. Other days are just neutral, and you just slide through the week, wondering where your time has gone.
But I do know what makes a difference: Thankfulness and joy. And I want to make a conscious effort to have both this year.
I love being joyful, because joy is catching. When someone joyful walks into your day, it lifts it. It brings a little smile, laughter, story into your day, and once you’ve had an encounter with joy, it usually helps get you through a hard task later on, because a part of you is still smiling. You know what I mean? When someone or something makes you laugh, and twenty minutes later you still feel the laughter inside your stomach, and then two hours later you think of it, and you kind of chuckle to yourself. I love those moments, and I want to be that moment for other people.
And thankfulness. I don’t praise God as much as I would like to. But just noticing the smaller things and being thankful for them gives me much more perspective and peace. This doesn’t mean pretending nothing is wrong, or accepting injustice. It just means that you’re focusing on the positive, because if you’re negative, it affects everyone around you. Your mood is shared among the people you work, play, and live with. When I’m thankful, I realise just how blessed how I am, and how loved I am. And I want to pass on that blessing to other people.
I don’t know if you took much away from reading this post, but I hope it at least gave you something to think about.
With joy and thanks for reading,
Sarah xx
the softest words 