Daily Cascade

Joy in Life

Prompt: "I really try to enjoy life and have joy with what I do." Tim Tebow Let this quote inspire your writing today.

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I am going to title this entry as "joy in life," but I will not be referring to my name but to the real joy, which is much more fun than I am. So, let's take a look at that real joy. The dictionary defines "joy" as "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness" It also refers to "tears of joy," at some point.

With me, where real joy is concerned, whatever I really set my mind to it, I find that I find some enjoyment in it, even if the results turn out to be iffy. So I guess intentionality plays a big role in the enjoyment of life. Then, comes gratitude for what I have, not only in the material things but also in the psychological and spiritual feelings and ways. A couple of years ago, I started keeping a gratitude journal, which taught me mindfulness and to be happy with what I have and with what little I can do.

If I were to put up or make up a few rules about enjoying life, therefore, gratitude would be the first in line. Next, rather than chewing over and over what happened in the past, trying to live in the present would come. This is not to say that we should discard the past totally, for the past is what inspires our writing, our artwork, and our basic make-up. But it is only a foundation. We need to build up on that foundation. People can't survive well in houses that only have a foundation, can they!

Then, our human connections, that is connections to other people, are very important. In my case, my sons, family members, and friends tie me to life and its joys greatly.

Taking care of my physical needs, having a loose everyday schedule to follow also help me stay put in reality and ease my living needs. Above all, though, trying to see the positive in almost everything is there to keep my mood up. This is because even the worst experiences guide us to learning something about ourselves and the world.

Then, if I say I'm happy and joyful always, I'd be lying big time, because I am not. No one is! So, I cut myself some slack when I feel sad or out of sorts in some way. This is okay, too, as long as I can get back to my life and my established schedules, so some enjoyment can follow.

This is because I think life is a precious gift, filled with opportunities for joy and I urge myself to have the internal power and strength to create a life that feels abundant and fulfilling. After all, real joy isn’t about perfection—it’s about appreciating the beauty in imperfection and living well and fully.