Daily Joy Despite it All

The news has been daunting for the past four months. I feel this way, and I don’t even watch the news. Nope, we both solely rely on reading the news because we find it to be such a calmer experience. And even though our continued choice has definitely helped us to keep a “take everything with a grain of salt” kind of attitude, the news has still felt daunting.

And then Monday happened. Yes, Monday. And boy was it a Monday for us here in California. Governor Newsom announced a slew of closings due to recent surges in new COVID-19 cases. And basically it felt like a huge, giant step backwards for us in terms of progress. Our health and safety is my number one concern. Always. But at the same time, when you’ve been cooped up for four months, this is not the news that you want to read about. Nope, not even reading about this could take away the sting of reality.

And so after a few brief moments of feeling bad for myself about our current restrictions. And feeling upset with all of the people who aren’t following the guidelines more closely (or at all). And feeling like I might just need to run away and live in the wilds of Alaska. . .I took a deep breath, and I made the conscious decision to focus even more of my energy throughout my day on gratitude, and on positivity. After all, there is no good that could possibly come from me feeling upset about things that are completely out of my control.

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I have a morning ritual of meditating, reading from some books that offer inspiring thoughts, and then doing a little bit of writing and reflecting. But this is all done after I have already checked my emails, and yes, the news. Doing these morning rituals is a great way for me to center my energy in a positive place for the day, but in light of our recent news, I feel like I need to be doing something a little bit extra for myself.

As Marianne Williamson has so wisely shared with us, “it is not up to you what you learn, but only whether you learn through joy or through pain.” I could make this hard on myself. I could let the news dictate my energy and my feelings, and even my day. I could let it overwhelm me and scare me. But what I am choosing to do, is to learn through joy. And how I plan on doing that, is by making a mental gratitude list the very moment that I open my eyes each morning. Yes, before I reach for my cellphone and become inundated with anything going on in the world, I am making a commitment to filling my heart with gratitude.

I’m only now just a few days into this new practice, but already my heart feels lighter. And generally, I just feel things “rolling off of my back” more. The news is the news. I am not in control of that. But I am in control of how I let it affect my day, and make me feel.

this morning’s list

– my perfect health –

– the perfect health of my family + friends –

– my marriage –

– the love + dedication that Ryan shares with me –

– God’s love + forgiveness –

– all of the abundance in our life –

– a new day, fresh air + new opportunities –

– sunshine –

– a great night’s sleep –

What are you grateful for today in spite of the news and of everything going on in the world? What makes your heart happy, and what are you doing to keep your days feeling light?