Joy. It’s the thing that supposed to be a part of Christmas and the holidays. But every December I find myself burnt out to the max, exhausted and wondering where the glitter and sparkle of the holidays of Christmas past disappeared to.
I know I said this blog will be about climate, but I think that for those of us who care so much about the earth, joy is an imperative to sustaining our energy in the long haul.
This morning while lying in bed, I thought to myself that I can’t keep going on like this. Having little fear rushes several times a day because there will always be some kind of suspected emergency. Having two little adventurous kids will do that to you. But it’s also everything on the news and the anticipation of what 2025 will bring. I realized I needed to take the reins of what I can control.
We’re Wired to Feel This Way
Neuropsychologist Dr. Rick Hanson famously says that we’re wired to adhere to negative experiences like velcro but are like teflon to positive ones. On his podcast, Michael Singer says we can choose joy by not adding to our suffering. And by being present and accepting things without judgment. That most negative experiences we experience are things that never actually happened. This is what happens when we anticipate worst care scenarios and our brain doesn’t know any difference.
So instead we need to decide to be joyful by looking for things in our day, the tiny granular gifts like a rainbow or our kid’s smile, and really zoom in on that. It’s hard to believe but that’s more real than anyone the new administration is picking for their cabinet next year.
If we keep feeding our soul with good moments and memories, we will have filled our tank and that can go a long way in sustaining us during those bring you to your knee moments.
Connection is what fuels me. Meeting you. Talking with people who are passionate about what they do. Doing one on one meetings with like-minded people about their passions is what keeps me afloat.
What helps ground you and what shopping list of moments fill you with gratitude? Hope to connect with you in 2025!
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