Simple. Joy.
Joy. That was the topic of today's sermon at UUSS. It was a good reminder that joy is always accessible to us, if we make the effort to be aware of our bodies, be in the present moment, relax, breathe, and smile. Doug, the senior minister, said something that really resonated for me: "Anxiety is excitement without the benefit of oxygen." In other words, if you can focus just on breathing, you may find your anxiety mellows into a more comfortable state of excitement. I'll take that over feeling anxious any day.
I skipped four holiday parties this weekend-one because I couldn't get babysitting, one because I couldn't fathom driving all the way to the Santa Cruz mountains with the kids and no hubby to help me, one because I got a better offer to hang out with dakini_grl (which was a welcome balm to my soul), and one because it just didn't fit in with our Sunday evening routine and required too much of us. I'm OK with all of this, even though I know I would have had a joyful time at any of these events. Sometimes you just gotta say No thanks to keep life simple.
Simple. Joy. I think I'm trying to rest in both of these concepts. I would like to call this my theme for the month. Wouldn't that be marvelous? Maybe it would stave off all the anxiety and batter down the encroaching army of shoulds.
So, tonight was a simple dinner of tom ka gai and spring rolls, a little telly, some knitting, labeling jam jars, stringing popcorn garlands with the kids, and just a touch of mobsters (for work). And now to bed.
“When you wish someone joy, you wish them peace, love, prosperity, happiness... all the good things.”
-Maya Angelou
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh
I skipped four holiday parties this weekend-one because I couldn't get babysitting, one because I couldn't fathom driving all the way to the Santa Cruz mountains with the kids and no hubby to help me, one because I got a better offer to hang out with dakini_grl (which was a welcome balm to my soul), and one because it just didn't fit in with our Sunday evening routine and required too much of us. I'm OK with all of this, even though I know I would have had a joyful time at any of these events. Sometimes you just gotta say No thanks to keep life simple.
Simple. Joy. I think I'm trying to rest in both of these concepts. I would like to call this my theme for the month. Wouldn't that be marvelous? Maybe it would stave off all the anxiety and batter down the encroaching army of shoulds.
So, tonight was a simple dinner of tom ka gai and spring rolls, a little telly, some knitting, labeling jam jars, stringing popcorn garlands with the kids, and just a touch of mobsters (for work). And now to bed.
“When you wish someone joy, you wish them peace, love, prosperity, happiness... all the good things.”
-Maya Angelou
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh