Letter to you

Dearest

I actually like a liver pâté dish (It´s a danish lunch stable), so it's a bit strange that that's what I naturally compare life to when it feels boring and sad - but I do.

Just like when I was a child it didn't feel like something great when you had liver pâté-colored hair, a liver pâté-colored life isn't great either.

For me it's a life that closes off joy and where one day is similar to another and I can't feel who I am or feel that there is a meaning to what I do.

I've lived such a life.

Maybe it didn't looked like it when seen from the outside and probably not every day BUT enough days that I got caught in the spiral and forgot to look up and out to meet the joy and smiles in the world and inside myself.

Such a life doesn't create joy and actually makes me sit after a big party or event and think: "was that it...???!!"

do I really not feel like it anymore?

And maybe also "Where is the joy?"

All that I feel is exhaustion and numbness

Can you relate?

Everything is good and everything is going well. One amazing thing after another is happening in your life, but you don't really feel any joy (or anything else) about it.

That is because you don't know what joy feels like.

At least that's what my life and my journey in life has shown me.

There have been glimpses of joy throughout my life and as a child/younger person there is no doubt that joy was there for me.

But later in life, it has kind of disappeared and THAT is the reason why we don't feel it when something good happens in life. Joy gets buried in all our plans and feeling of should and ought to.

I also think that is why we say we're looking forward to the holidays and the weekend. We wait for joy to arrive when we say we have time for it.

But that's not how joy works.

Joy is there when you open the door and it's your job to get to know it every day - not just on special occasions or when you think you have room in your life for it.

If you don't spend time on joy as with a friendship, you can't recognize it when it's actually there.

Does that make sense to you?

Does it perhaps resonate a bit with you?

Then - put a note in your calendar EVERY day that says feel the joy.

And when the note tells you to feel the joy, you stop what you are doing and look around where you are.

Find 1 thing that brings you joy or maybe something that makes you smile and then you notice what it does to you. How it feels inside you.

Keep going as long as you can and then just take 2 more breaths 😉

Or maybe start with 1 minute if you want to take your time.

But do it for so long that it becomes a little uncomfortable and your reason comes knocking and says now we have to do this and that too.

This gives you the opportunity to show the joy that you choose it over duties, shoulds and had to.

So you can feel and be aware of the fact that you are on your way to a life of Everyday Joy rather than liver pâté.

Hugs

Pernille Maij

Spiritual Heart Teacher and ambassador for joy.

It is your job to find joy