Running Naked With Candy!
Finding Joy
Yesterday I walked out onto my porch as a funnel cloud dropped from the sky. Lately, we have had the craziest weather!! A definite sign of spring transitioning to summer. Oh hello LIFE!
This time of year my skin craves the feel of the sun, after a winter of being all covered up with layers of clothing. Yay t-shirts and shorts! The increased activity of the chirping birds and the crazy acrobatics of squirrels are a marvel. An overall lightness and joy awakens in my spirit. For me, spring and summer bring out the remembrance of being a child. If I allow myself to stay with the feeling, there is something that feels really young and free.
This reminds me of a story from Woman’s Day Magazine:
“Our son decided that not only was underwear objectionable, the rest of his clothes were as well. I found him running around the house stark naked, only pausing long enough to grab a treat from the kitchen table. “Mama!” he cried with soul-soaring glee. “I’m naked! Naked with CANDY!” “What more can you ask from life?” she asked her husband. “I feel like being naked with candy myself.”” Woman’s Day, February 18, 1977, by Beth Levine
I remember loving candy. When I was young, I received a quarter every week for an allowance. I would ride my bike to the quick shop and spend it on candy. Each little piece was a treasure. The days were full of warm sunshine, candy and riding my bike along country roads.
Buying candy now is no big deal. But finding that feeling…that soul-soaring glee kind of a feeling, that would be a big deal! And if you added to it running naked, that would be something else! I can hardly imagine, though the picture of a grown woman running naked with candy is laugh out loud funny.
I’m in my mid-50’s and I find that the days are flying by quickly. My family is grown. Vocational pursuits no longer hold the appeal that they used to. And I feel an urgency to find more joy that does say, “Oh hello life!!”
The quest is real. I really want a bit of soul-soaring glee!
So here is the first thing I’m going to do to find more joy this summer:
TAKE A REST
Does this sound boring? Were you expecting to hear something a bit more stunning?
Stay with me!
For rest I am talking about your body. BUT mostly I’m talking about your mind.
Our brain uses a disproportionate amount of energy compared to other body organs. It is very expensive in terms of energy use. If you rest your mind it’s like a bonus plus rest.
When your mind is not rested, your creativity goes dry. You experience burnout. Your fuse is short. You ruminate. Your output is poor. Anxiety levels rise. And either chaos, confusion and depression set in or rigid, angry mental states set in.
For me, a non-rested state looks like this…
My mind is overstimulated with the past, present and future. I find I can’t be still in my soul. I’m restless. I’m irritable. I carry a low-grade depression. I am uneasy, edgy, tense, apprehensive, and impatient.
What does unrest look like for you?
Really, what is rest, and what does it look like for you?
I would suggest that you don't take anyone else’s definition of rest. You get to make up your own rules!
For me right now, rest would look like this…
~to learning to sit in the beauty that surrounds me and be still.
~to simply breathe and empty my mind.
~to feel the breeze on my skin and the sun on my face...even if it’s only for a few minutes.
~to walk and let my surroundings speak to me. What do the wildflowers speak? What does that weird piece of yard art say? What does the noisy road construction speak?
~to learn a new creative skill...like painting with watercolors. Watch, “Jumpstart with Jenny” (https://youtu.be/VMwzIxNTfZE) and get lost in your own creative process. Research shows that it lowers stress levels. (https://pin.it/4dqpvn6yemf5ka)
~to read. Fiction. Lose myself in a story.
~And maybe give it a shot…RUN NAKED WITH CANDY!
I will stop here. This is a lot to work on! I will spend the month of June trying to implement this into my life. The first of July I will offer my second suggestion in finding joy. But for now let’s give this a try!
Also, check out our website. www.yourawakenedlife.org We offer in-person coaching retreats and Santa Fe, NM is the perfect place to work on reconnecting with joy!