We still live in a pretty hectic and grind focused world… The recent pandemic helped us wake up a bit to the reality that we were not living our best life. That we were living by doing, accumulating, numbing, and yes, wasting away… And, to some extent, we haven’t really course corrected that much… We shouted from the roof tops that we wanted to “go back to normal”… But is that really want we want? I know we are craving a richer and more meaningful existence…
I have made it my business, literally, to show people a better way… The old mindset around this no longer cuts it… The grind mentality, the 10x all your efforts, the focus on external achievement, the default of neglecting ourselves and our loved ones is no longer acceptable. Why would we choose to have this kind of life?
The result of that kind of life is high divorce rates and broken homes, financial struggle, addictions, diseased bodies and minds, fatigue and exhaustion, and a lack of inspiration and zest for life… This is when people are robotic about life and it shows in their eyes, in their speech, in their focus… This is when people don’t have a great answer as to the purpose of life… Their purpose…
Regardless of where you stand on the above, I bet you still do some grinding… It’s ok, we still live in this kind of world…
But I want to offer a simple reprieve to that today, and that is to open our eyes to Joy… If you are rolling your eyes, bear with me… You see, we tend to focus on all the doing and getting things done, that we don’t stop to smell the roses. I know this might sound cliché at this point, but it still applies…
What if we created a life where we focus on our life first and then on work? I know, it sounds crazy… And don’t get me wrong- I love my work and working… I could be as much on this boat as the next person… Because my work is such a part of me, and my purpose and my mission, it is even harder to detach from it and chill… It is so ingrained in my being that it becomes difficult to distinguish work from life… But still, I’m taking on this challenge as I know there is even more… I’m intentionally shifting this focus and basking on what’s on the other side…
What does it mean to focus on our life first and then on work? What does it mean to stop and smell the roses? What does it mean open our eyes to joy?
Open Your Eyes to Joy
This would look different for each of us, as we all have different habits, needs, preferences, bodies, histories, things that delight us, and so on and so forth. But it could include some of these or some version of these:
- Creating a rich self-care morning routine
- Embracing a mindfulness practice
- Experimenting with different ways of having movement in our day
- Expending times outdoors in the sun and in nature
- Having fresh flowers in our office and home
- Having live plants in our office and home
- Eating delicious nutritious meals
- Feeding our mind and soul
- Honoring our feelings and addressing our needs
- Becoming more who we are
- Pursuing interests and hobbies
- Pursuing a higher calling
- Creating quality time with our loved ones
- Having great sleep hygiene (hooked up bedtime routine)
You see, it doesn’t have to be that difficult or such a strange concept… When we prioritize these and work our work around them, that’s when the seas part…
Right now, we do it the other way around, we do work and fill in the rest if we can… This is a terrible way to go about life…
I encourage you to prioritize your life first, sprinkle the little things that give you joy into your routine, then get to work.
What I experience when I do this, is that I’m much more creative and productive. My life feels amazing and works much better. I can truly say I’m living my best life…
Watch Related Videos on our YouTube Channel.
Find different ways of finding Joy with our 30-Days Challenges List.
Wishing you all the joy, connection and love today and always…
With Much Love & Light!
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Emma K. Viglucci, LMFT is the Founder and Director of Metropolitan Marriage & Family Therapy, PLLC, a private practice that specializes in working with couples, she is the creator of the MetroRelationship™ philosophy and the Successful Couple Strategy™ that assist couples succeed at their relationship and their life. Stay Connected™ with Emma and receive weekly connection notes in your inbox with Personal Development and Relationship Enrichment insights and strategies, visit: www.metrorelationship.com.
