A Single, Simple Moment of Joy

Over the holidays, life is in a whirl. Between holiday shopping, colorful cards and family gatherings, where do you fall in all of the hustle and bustle? Do you find yourself feeling stressed and uneasy, or do you go with the flow and enjoy each moment as it arises?

Life is full of moments—some happy and others sad. The holidays certainly provide their fair share of ups and downs, as did this unprecedented year. However, as bumpy as the roads on the path of life may get, it’s important to slow down and take a breath once in awhile.

One way to do that is to focus on one single, simple moment of joy. It has been said, “If happy Buddha sits inside, there will be no seats for sadness.” Our job then, is to fill our lives with as much “happy” as possible. Throughout our lives, we experience a gamut of emotions—happy, sad, angry, stressed, worried, fearful, insecure, confident—and many more. Finding one moment of pure joy among the many moments of life can seem like a needle in a haystack. But doing so helps us to replace the worry, fear, stress and insecurity with joy.

So, start small. Look back on each decade of your life. Let the memories flood in and allow yourself to feel. Sift through each snapshot in time until you reach one moment of pure joy. Allow yourself to truly experience that moment. Put yourself back in the shoes of that 10, 30 or 80 year-old person. How does the joy of that moment change the shape of your smile and the softness of your face? How does it impact your heart and the hearts of others around you?

Remember that feeling as you walk through each heavy, burdensome, happy, worrisome, or insignificant moment of each and every day. Give yourself permission to feel joy as you wait at the bus stop or sit in city traffic. Allow joy to infuse itself into your heart and your entire being. Notice as you begin to see people and events a bit differently. Is it easier to go with the flow? How is your perspective changing?