One of the biggest costs of being Mindless, instead of Mindful, is the loss of opportunity. One of those opportunities could be the chance to notice Joy.
Joyful moments can look like ecstatic celebration or just the daily mundane pleasures of life that feel deeply contented. They always seem to have a sense of buoyancy.
No matter what our circumstances Joy can be found and en-joyed, taken in and absorbed into us. These intimate moments can be fleeting and the temptation to grasp can be strong. Instead, just notice what you’ve encountered. Hold the moment with an open hand, heart, awareness. Download the memory, integrate the present feelings. Then, let it through. Have confidence that these shimmering sensations can be en-joyed again.
Look for them. Savor them. Offer them. Be grateful.
Excerpt from: Night Visions: Searching the shadows of advent and Christmas By Jan L. Richardson
Lisa Wellington is a Certified Mindfulness Teacher who writes about integrative practices that downshift stress, increase insight, and jumpstart joy.
She is best known for her work with law enforcement professionals as well as those challenged by housing instability and addiction. Trained in the Fine Arts at Washington State University, she specializes in group training that engages participants’ inherent creativity.
If she is not under a stack of books about psychology and spirituality, she can be found at a Puget Sound beach or nearby trail, always searching for the absurd, which is her superpower.Â
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
