Tiny Moments of Joy

....finding the sacred in the mundane

From time to time, I recognize that I'm more serious than I'd like to be.

I worry about things (and people) I have no control over, I regret things I've said or done (or not said or done), and every now and then I have a vague existential angst.

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this.

When I feel that heaviness, I sometimes wonder about my capacity for joy, and how to grow or reconnect with it. In response to my wondering, it was recently suggested to me that I identify places in my life where I experience joy.

So I started an experiment - to pay more attention to moments of joy. Not the big-ticket events or monumental occasions where one might expect to feel especially joyful, but in day-to-day living, in the mundane.

Spring is a great time for me to do this experiment - I found moments of joy in the unfurling of daffodil blossoms, the early morning bird songs, the feeling of warm sun on my skin after a long, cold winter.

As the experiment continued, I recognized moments of joy in conversations with friends, the first sip of my morning coffee, in pulling leftovers out of the fridge to make an easy dinner.

There is joy in being compelled to sing along with a favourite song, and in how I feel as I'm singing.
There is joy in connecting to my body, to feeling cells, tissue, bone and breath, integrated with spirit.

And I realized that joy was a very small word I was using to describe something much greater - connection to others, to self, to the mystery of the richness of my human experience. Awe.

When I recognize my heaviness and doubts as one small piece of this greater mystery, they aren't problems to fix or push away, but a gift. A reminder that I get to acknowledge myself as part of a greater mystery. And continue to welcome and be curious about whatever shows up. With awe.

Where is it easy for you to find joy, awe and wonder?
Where is it difficult?
What have you noticed lately that is tugging at your sleeve, asking you to pay attention?
How do you want to welcome it?

Thinking about doing your own "tiny moments of joy" experiment? Need some inspiration? Check out Madeline Dore's Substack.