How to Find More Joy

When I decided on “Joy” as my word for the year, I planned on finding more joy in my life. God knows I could use it because I easily lose sight of joy while trying to keep from losing everything and living under a bridge.

However, God and my dear buddy Ralph Waldo Emerson changed my mind about how to apply “joy” to this year. How? God brought to mind one of my favorite quotes from Ralph:

Scatter Joy. 

It comes from this quote:

“There is no beautifier of complexion, or form, or behavior, like the wish to scatter joy and not pain around us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

So I will spend a year scattering joy. Think of me as a flower girl scattering colorful, joy-filled flower petals around the world.

How?

How can you scatter joy if you do not find it in your life? That is quite simple and it involves the first runner-up for my 2018 One Word – Kind. 

I will scatter joy by being kind. 

If you are kind, you are scattering joy and gathering joy at the same time because joy fills your heart when you are kind. Scatter Joy to Gather Joy.

Easy?

It will not be as easy as you think. I work in a call center and changes are coming. Those of you who work in call centers know how hard it is to be kind sometimes. You just have to grit your teeth, bite your tongue and smile.

Where?

Work – Most of my kind words, thoughts and deeds will be done at my virtual call center job because it is where I spend most of my time. That means I will be scattering joy to my customers in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

Social Media – However, the most challenging place to be kind is social media. My Twitter account is pretty much dead and I swore I was not going to use Facebook this year, at least not my personal page. Only my blog page and the Faithful Finish Lines Fitness group were going to be used. Now I feel as though I must use my personal page as well. UGH!

If there was a time machine I would go back to 2009 and tell my younger self “Don’t sign up for Facebook.” The noise pollution is deafening.

Around Town – The last place I will practice scattering joy is wherever my travels take me. Most of them will be throughout Northeast Ohio. So no flipping off people who tailgate or cut me off. No grumbling at the lousy shopping cart drivers at the grocery store who stop and block the aisles, or grumbling because I get a chatty checkout girl (just ring my groceries, please!).

About Kindness

The reason kindness is hard is we are thinking about ourselves most of the time and not of the other person. We must remember

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. 

Philo

And we must remember to be thankful we are not walking a mile or more in their shoes.

Be kind whenever it is possible. It is always possible. 

Dali Lama

Who else is up for being kind so you are scattering and gathering joy this year?

 

Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to encourage widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s used those skills managing call center teams, facilitating a grief support group and helping small businesses with various writing and administrative assignments. Michele is a bookworm, lover of chocolate, red roses and golden retrievers and an amateur photographer.