“If you’re constantly looking for greener pastures, you’ll never see the beauty of the one you’re currently in.”
Last year, I binge listened to all of Shawn Achor’s books and I honestly can’t remember now which one that quote is from, but it’s a great one to ruminate on. (Pun intended.)
As your reward for tolerating my pun, here’s a picture of fluffy ruminants, ruminating. Their grass is definitely not green, but the snow sure is pretty.
It’s great to set goals and strive for better, for greener, but what beauty do you see right now where your feet are?
You know what else looking for beauty right here and now does?
It fosters joy.
And joy is the fuel our brains crave.
If you’re struggling to see the beauty or find joy, I encourage you to start a “Joy Journal” – write down one specific thing you’re grateful for each day.
Joy Journaling 101
It doesn’t have to be anything big or spectacular. It can be on paper, or digital. The important thing is to just do it. It can be as simple as the smell of the fresh brewed coffee. The flowers starting to pop up for the spring. A blue sky after days of gray. A good dog snoozing by your feet.
After you’ve written it down, sit with the gratitude and allow yourself to be in a state of appreciation for few minutes. Building this appreciation daily will help fill you with genuine joy and increase your emotional capacity.
I also find that having those daily gratitudes to look back on when I’m feeling depleted can be uplifting. It can green up pastures that seem a little on the dry side, like rain showers for the soul.
So, again I ask, what beauty do you see right now where your feet are?
Hello! I’m Terryn – the wife, mother, food safety enthusiast, Stormy Kromer fanatic who has slightly (okay, a lot) random tendencies, dabbles in photography, and shares (maybe a little too much) here at FFB.