Tag Archives: joy

Making Mornings Series: #10 Making Mornings a Celebration

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This grew out of a series to be posted on a board. It served as a reminder for me to intentionally create the mornings I want, in many different ways and being.

After taking on different types of mornings, trying different things that work or don’t work for you, everyone deserves a pat on the back.

Making Mornings Series: #10 Making Mornings a Celebration
I celebrate the fact that I get a new morning, well.. every morning. We worry about the day ahead but technically, it hasn’t started. You get to create it for yourself the day ahead, whether same-old-same-old or something new.
When the new day counts as one of your blessings, and you learn to have gratitude, isn’t that in itself cause for celebration?

For other parts of the series, please refer here.

Making Mornings Series: #9 Making Mornings Joyful

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This grew out of a series to be posted on a board. It served as a reminder for me to intentionally create the mornings I want, in many different ways and being.
By this stage, those who live in their head a lot (like me) start to get confused. At #9 of the series, how can one person’s morning take so many forms?
The beauty is in understanding the possibilities are endless. You can take one and make it your own for 30 days (somewhat to ingrain a habit in a way of being). Or you can mix a few up and create your own combination of morning (because really, is there any other type of morning other your own for yourself?). Or you can see what serves you for that day or week and take on that one way of Making Mornings accordingly.
I haven’t got it all done to making it all effortless, but I figured along the way that the next element was quite crucial.

Making Mornings Series: #9 Making Mornings Joyful
Consider being in the state of joy and yet treating something with the utmost importance, while intending for the most effective result. Consider that it doesn’t need the furrowed brow, intense look or serious attitude.
Seriously considering?
Stop.
Mornings are joyful because we don’t overthink it. Joyfulness happens in the heart, out of the head. Maybe big dreams happen with or without joy, but it sure is easier with joy.

For more of the series, please refer here.

Postponing happiness

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Once in a while, some events happen around me that make me feel really joyful. There are probably more than I can care to remember, but it only took me till recently to realise that I often numb most of the others in between.

It happened after a recent talk I gave about this blog (yes, people are interested to hear about Loving Monday Mornings *excited*) and how it relates to goal setting for the year. The staff at the place I gave the talk were all extra chirpy the following Monday when I swung by. They seemed really inspired and happy, and knowing that Loving Monday Mornings contributed to that just made me really joyful.

I was happy for 2 minutes, the real simple kind of happy. Smiling, at peace, feeling that all is good around me. And for some reason, I spotted it this time, as fast as the thought popped into my head:

“Better not be so happy. It will likely not last so you should tone it down a little, and leave some for later.”

What?!?!
What was the point of enjoying a moment, any moment, if you had to somehow carve a portion of it and leave it for later? What was so terrifying, the idea of scarcity? That there might be a limited amount of joy? And so it seems another usual reaction I had, just that I was somehow outside looking in again:

The need of postponing happiness to save some for later was equivalent to the scarcity mindset that there wasn’t happiness. As a result, I am not truly enjoying the moment, occasionally guilty and thereby, not happy as a result of postponing what I was trying to be – happy.

How long?
As far back as I can remember, and that is a long time to keep postponing something. It is draining, exhausting, and feels ironically, thoroughly miserable. How much had I short-changed myself along the way?

There comes a time when you get amazed at that very instant how far you have come – especially if it’s down the wrong path.

Now what?
I was still standing at the same spot, moments into my new realisation. The only thing that was left, was to stop postponing happiness. And then, to be happy now.

What if there is not enough and it “drains” out? Be happy now.
What if I get it wrong? Be happy now.
What if I don’t know how? Be happy now.

Being present in the moment. Being happy.
Being happy. Being present in the moment.