Don’t worry about things. Don’t push. Just do your work and you’ll survive. The important thing is to have a ball, to be joyful, to be loving and to be explosive. Out of that comes everything and you grow.

Ray Bradbury

This Bradbury quote is a good way to start thinking about goals, objectives, and values.

As I think about my goals and aspirations, I usually get trapped into thinking about work, projects, publications. I forget about finding joy, having fun, and laughing. This quote resonates with me because it suggests that there is more to life than just getting things done.

It is ultimately these times when we let go, focus on joy, and live our lives that inspiration is usually waiting for us.

Approach the world with a closed mind, and there is no window for joy. Embrace the infinite beyond and let joy surprise you.

Finding Joy

This reminds me of when I was recently talking to my therapist. She indicated that she read in the newspaper that our local area had one of the highest amounts of yellow cars in the country.

For weeks I kept noticing yellow cars on the road. I was also amazed at the amount of yellow cars on the road and told my friends and family about this strange phenomena.

It wasn’t until I went back for my next appointment did she indicate that this was not a new phenomenon that I had witnessed, and she did not read it in the newspaper. She knew that if I was paying attention, and looking for yellow cars in the world…I would find them. 🙂

Joy & Happiness

Joy and happiness are often used synonymously, but Ingrid Fetell Lee argues that time is an important distinction between the two. Happiness is something that measures how good we feel over time, while joy is about feeling good in the moment.

Noticing visual and sensorial patterns in the things that brought people joy, Lee was able to identify 10 “aesthetics” of joy:

• abundance
• harmony
• energy
• freedom
• play
• surprise
• transcendence
• magic
• renewal
• celebration.

Cultivating Joy

Joy is out there, and we can choose to cultivate it in our lives or abandon it. Lee indicates that there are several ways to let go of suffering and embrace joy.

• Become a joy detective 
• Surround yourself with small pleasures
• Adopt a morning gratitude practice
• Schedule a weekly ‘joy date’
• Go on a joy diet

Ingrid Fetell Lee reveals the surprisingly tangible roots of joy and shows how we all can find — and create — more of it in the world around us.

Open yourself up for moments of joy. Happiness is not just contagious. It’s explosive.

This post is Day 50 of my #100DaysToOffload challenge. Want to get involved? Find out more at 100daystooffload.com.

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash