Episode 02: Finding Joy
When my children grew up and I found myself an empty nester I went on a journey to find my own joy. As I began I was surprised to discover that I was no longer sure what brought me my own joy.
Not because I didn’t have things to be grateful for.
I had many things to be grateful for and I considered myself a joyful person.
Yet as I stood at a crossroads between the old chapter and the new I had no idea what lit me up now.
So I made a quiet decision.
I set out to find out what lit me up in the chapter to come.
Not to make big, dramatic changes but to begin discovering again what brought me joy.
Little by litte.
I rediscovered old joys and found new ones. I realized that some experiences that brought me joy in the last chapter may be totally different in this one.
At first, it was small things: the way sunlight hit my kitchen counter, the sound of birds in the early morning, the smell of rain on the pavement. Those small moments of joy led me on a road to discovery that was about more than joy.
Each newly discovered or rediscovered joy brought me closer to myself and the whispers of my own voice became easier and easier to hear.
It all started with finding moments of joy but ended up being a roadmap for me to find my way back to myself.
If you find yourself transitioning into new chapters and writing new stories start with finding joy.
A minute at a time. Start small.
This is how it began for me and it may be the same for you because the best is yet unwritten.