The Joy of A New Day, A Fresh Start & A New Beginning

There are two best parts of any day, as cliche as it may sound, the beginning and the end. It all has to do with promise and hope. Every morning we wake up there lies before us the promise of a new day and the hope of a new beginning. As we lie in bed at night before going to sleep we sum up our day and look back on the things that have happened and forward at the opportunities that tomorrow brings. One of the things I like about my job is having two daily offices as well as other offices I periodically drop by, all within about a five to ten mile radius max. Since I am salaried I get breaks throughout the day as I travel to my office or back and it's nice to have those little drives to enjoy music, enjoy the weather, vent a little on my frustrations and pep myself up a little bit when I need it - which is just about always. Even these short five minute drives can help keep me going through a crazy day of doctor calls and client appointments and client accidents and Special Incident Reports and Universe-forbid Licensing from the State Health Department (not the kindest people on planet Earth).
The best drive though is the one that comes every morning after I leave my apartment. Having differing destinations my route isn't always the same, and even when it is I can change it up. The weather is pretty good here in California and I have my music from my iPhone to keep me going as I drive the truck. It's nice to breath in the morning air as I set out to work each morning even if all I want to do is head back into bed at home. Even yawning and dreary-eyed I enjoy having time to pep myself up for the day. I don't know if anyone really wants to go to work everyday, or maybe there are those lucky few out there who really enjoy getting up and going to work. I enjoy my job enough and I like being a nurse and all but I know that I would much rather be on the beach reading a book or traveling the world seeing new places. But, this is life and you deal with it and you keep going. So each morning we have a chance to talk ourselves up for the coming day that we have to face no matter what. This is where we can focus on the Joy that we have found for ourselves and really use it to charge up our batteries. I mean, find a silly song you love that just makes you grin ear to ear and play it when you pull out of the driveway while you begin to plan your day. Stick a little bobble-head of your favorite Disney Villain on the dashboard to snicker back at you as you drive. Get the figure from your favorite TV show or movie and put it up in the truck or put up a sticker in the back windshield that you can see through the rear-view mirror. You don't have to overdo it but it is nice to have those little reminders to smile and not take life too seriously. If someone else says something then so what, obviously they are taking life a little too damn seriously too.
Put yourself in a good frame of mind so that when you get to life and reality you are in a better place to face it. We are all going to face life every morning, we just have to make sure we face it with our best foot forward. Think about that this morning, how do you face each day? What do you do to help yourself attain and hold on to your Joy? This morning are you doing anything to help set yourself up to win instead of setting yourself up for failure? We all already have our arsenal and stockpile of Joy that we have found and built up. Use your mornings to tap into that arsenal, and use your evenings  to take inventory so that you don't ever forget the precious cargo you have hidden inside you. We so often forget our greatest weapon - ourselves. We are the keys and instruments to change, both within and without. Anytime is a good time for a new beginning, any day is the day for a fresh start - All it takes is you. As I have written before:

"Joy is endless, boundless. No matter how much of it you share there will always be more than enough of it left for you. On top of that, in a karma-esque way, it comes back to you ten-fold. When you share your joy with others, along with some peace and understanding as well, it brings joy to you as well. Those rewards are immeasurable."

Rule #5 - Find Your Joy & Share It - Part 2

Here we are - the end is in sight! Well, the end of this lesson at least, the end of our troubles will never come. We can celebrate now though because we have 5 more tools, or rules, to help guide us on this windy path. First off, life is never clearly defined, there will always be gray areas. Secondly, the only limit to our dreams is our own effort, we are the ones who make our dreams reality. Thirdly, the expression of joy that connects us is love and if you want someone to show you love you must first be open and then be willing to treat them with the same respect. Fourth on our list, those difficult times that come second after second and day after day will never quit and the only thing we can do is lean to adapt. Fifth, in life we must find our joy and hold on to it so that it can keep us going through those dark tough times and help us grow through experience. Lastly, we must share that joy with others. We are all going through stressful times, whether they are large or small it doesn't matter. We are all connected to each other because we are all alive; we are all part of one big web of life that keeps us held together. We are all human and we all make mistakes, many many mistakes. Some over and over even. The point is that at any time any given one of us is going through some degree of stress, varying degrees of gray areas and levels of stress. By finding your own way you find your own joy and can use that to help carry and fuel you through the not-so-happy times. If we are all going through things why not support each other. It's not that hard. It's as easy as sharing what you already have, what you spent all that time looking for - your joy. The thing about joy is that it is limitless and boundless. No matter how much of it you share there will always be more than enough left for you. On top of that, in a karma-esque way, it comes back to you ten-fold. When you share with others and bring joy, maybe some peace and understanding as well, into their lives it brings joy into yours as well. Those rewards are immeasurable. 

There are two ways that we can share our joy with the world around us, or more to say two different kinds of joy to share. The first kind is the normal, general kind of joy that is common among most of us. This includes things like general acts of kindness; holding the door open for the person behind you, letting someone merge into traffic in front of you, sending a card to your friend when they are in the hospital, the list goes on and on. The point is that these are acts of kindness that spread joy in a normal everyday kind of way. The second kind would be more of an individual way. Finding our joy is a journey that helps us get closer to ourselves and learn what really makes us happy and what we want out of life. The things that we come across speak to each of us uniquely, which gives us an opportunity to help others in our own way. For example, it took me a while to figure out how to use it effectively, but I realized my passion was writing. When I write I feel alive like no other time in my life. I am creating something of my own and I am able to pour my heart onto paper and really open up to people. In that way I hope to make some small impact on this world that lasts even a little bit longer than I do. That is where this blog came from, that is why I put everything into it and don't hold back. If I have the chance to help someone or make someone think about things in a different way it is worth it. Find your joy, make it your own. Then live it so that when you encounter others you can share it with them. The sky is limitless with possibilities and there is more than enough room for everyone. Take flight and let your life take off. Learn to live in the present, then learn how to enjoy it.