As I headed off to the market this morning, I realized how much I actually enjoy this simple task. I love walking along browsing all the stalls to see what fruit or vegetables are in season checking the prices and talking with the vendors.
People are smiling and talking, the sound of music comes from a gentleman sitting on a chair in the centre of the walkway playing an accordion.
I usually like to take my husband along with me and share this experience with him, but today he is working and I enjoy my solitude, even more present with the warmth of the sun, the blueness of the sky and even where I’ve parked the car!
When I get home I go out to our backyard and check my own vegetables growing in the garden. I look through the tomato plants to find the beautiful sun-kissed red Roma tomatoes that I will use to make my sauce. I rustle through the bean plants to find the newest tender green beans that will be a part of our dinner.
And in these simple things I find joy!
As I look back on my life I can remember a time when I was hard pressed to find joy in anything, let alone the simplest things in life.
I think this happens to a lot of us in our lives. We become so burdened with every day living and working and forget to stop and smell the roses so to speak.
We expect joy to come in a bigger package and we’re so busy looking for it that we miss the joy that is right here, right now coming in a steady flow of small, beautiful pleasures that we would see all the time if we just remembered to stay in the present moment.
Take some time to notice the little things in life and how much joy can be felt in experiencing them. It’s not the experience that gives you joy but the willingness to be present with life every moment of the day. And in those moments we find a joy beyond our dreams.
In which experiences do you feel joy?
Bettina Goodwin is a Certified Life Coach, Reiki Practitioner, speaker and facilitator who has experience working with children, teens and adults in a wide variety of personal, family and relationship issues. Her background and training of four years of personal growth work, training and certification followed by case studies give her the tools necessary to delve into the core issues that are causing concern for her clients.