Are You Just Going Through the Motions?

Do you ever feel like you’re going through the motions of life, busy filling it with activity that doesn’t mean much to you anymore?

And then at the end of the day, or week, or when summer rolls around, you don’t have any energy to do the things you once wanted to?

Instead of complicating our life, why don’t we simplify so we can focus on the joy? Create space for simple pleasures to be remembered and re-created.

In The Promise of A Pencil, Braun tells stories about young children who told him that, if they could have anything, they would want things like a pencil, a book, magic, or to dance. Remember when simple stuff made you happy?

When I was a kid, I grew up partially on a farm. Those times are still nostalgic for me now as I try to find a comfort zone living subdivision life in the suburbs. I loved to take off to go exploring in the fields, forests or around the old barns.

Climbing trees was always fun (especially when the cherries were ripe for picking). Outside in the fresh air, being independent, figuring out ways to fill our time – that’s just what we did.

Those adventures made me quite happy on my own, but if I could convince people to join me, we would certainly find a way to get ourselves into some kind of trouble (usually instigated my moi, since I was the oldest). I think I loved being mischievous as much as exploring.

Do you remember joy? When’s the last time you felt it?

If you had the time, energy and freedom, what would you ‘waste’ an entire afternoon doing?

Joy doesn’t take money. It takes awareness.

So slow down for a bit and enjoy yourself. Most things on your to-do list can wait.