Yesterday I asked my neighbour how his day went, and he said, “It started bad and ended bad. It’s all problems.”
The man next door sends text messages on the cell phone instead of coming to talk face-to-face. How much joy is it to see a smiling face? It can now be so rare!
I remember the words from a poem by William Wordsworth:
The world is too much with us: late and soon, Getting and
spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon ! …………………………………………
For this, for everything, we are out of tune
I used to feel like this, too. You have to break the pattern. There is a beach where I sometimes go. It is good to be there in the evening. The warm sun; the magical sky; All tension vanishes and there will only moments of joyful peace. It is as if the world stands still. There is the magical sound of waves to be heard. I immediately get in tune with myself and the world.
There are such little things that in our rush we might overlook that can bring joy. Picking one flower or watching a butterfly can change the tide of our exhausting thoughts. Look around to see what natural joys you can discover.
You can start the day by directing your thoughts to those of joy. How about giving your partner, child, or pet a good-morning hug instead of worrying about the future or rushing out to the day’s activity? This act of love can bring a feeling of warmth for both of you that can stay with you all day long. It’s a moment of joy knowing that you love and you are loved. Always remember—you are a child of God.
