I’ve spoken about joy in the past. As we continue to live our lives amid a global pandemic the essence of joy seems to have abated. Our lives as we knew them have been disrupted. We don’t know what the future holds - despite the vaccine. A lot of people are thinking now we have the vaccine, once you’re vaccinated you can go back to what you used to do! You’ve been cured! Umm…no! But that’s not what this blog is about.
I recently celebrated my birthday. I say celebrated. I acknowledged it was my birthday. Several people on social media were kind enough to send messages for the day - which was lovely. My timeline reminded me of what I got up to last year. Friends cooked me a three course Indian meal, from scratch on the day itself. The day after I met up with two other friends and we went to Bristol Zoo, followed by a meal, followed by a theatre show (which ended up being the last show I saw in the theatre before Lockdown!).
For my pandemic birthday I went for a lovely 5 mile walk in the countryside and treated myself to some nice food. Other than that it was just like any other day. A friend of mine sent me a message in which she not only wished me a happy birthday, but she also said something that gave me food for thought. She said that “…the threshold for and exciting thing has gotten really low.” And I knew exactly what she meant.
But it got me thinking that that’s actually what we need to be doing now and in the future. We need to find joy and excitement in everything we possibly can. Whether we’re in a global pandemic or not, we need to enjoy our lives as best we can. Ok, it’s not ideal - I get that totally. I miss my friends and I miss hugs! But that doesn’t mean I’m just gonna mope around the house wishing for things to be “back to normal”. Firstly, I hate that bloody phrase! Define normal!!
I am going to try and muster some enjoyment every day. Whether it’s getting out for a walk or listening to an album in full. I know that several people have taken up baking. The thing is, whatever your situation, you can find joy in everything. It’s there if you want it - and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?! You can choose to get excited about stuff or you can choose to be nonplussed and moan you can’t get to the gym, pub or whatever.
I’ve been mocked in the past for being passionate about a lot of things…or getting passionate about pretty much everything. But I find having that attitude means that I’m happy most of the time. I’m energised. I’m positive. I’m vibrating at a high frequency. I’m not letting circumstances prevent me from enjoying my life.
Come March, we’ll have all had a “lockdown” birthday. Not many of us will have celebrated with friends. While that is of course sad, it shouldn’t deter us from celebrating. My friend asked me if I was doing anything special for my birthday. I replied “Yeah…I’m gonna keep breathing”.
In conclusion. If you can find joy in everything or at least get excited about the little things, your life will become richer for it. Spread a little happiness. Spread a little joy. Don’t let circumstances bring you down.
Stay safe.