Making room for joy!

What gives me joy?

That’s the question I am asking myself today because that’s what I want in the new year. As I began making my list, I realized a very important thing: to have more of something, I need to have less of something else. In order to keep the balance in my universe, I can’t just keep piling on without shoveling a bit away. Something has to go in order to make room.

So, here is my list of joy-fillers to add and life-sappers to subtract in 2017. I want to:

1. move more and sit less
2. stretch more and tighten less
3. spend more time outside and less inside
4. communicate more personally and less digitally
5. smile more and frown less
6. compliment more and criticize less
7. pray more and fret less
8. risk more and plan less
9. learn something new each day and use it in a sentence.
10. share a daily positive review, comment or report with an author, creator or business.

These aren’t resolutions or even goals. They’re just things that bring me joy. Yet, if I pursue them…time outside to stretch and move, opportunities for positive conversations, and time connected to God who strengthens and guides, day by day I will be surrounded by the new and the positive while eschewing the old and the negative (which was always a waste of my time anyway).

There may be some exercise, weight loss, stress reduction, and time management in there somewhere, but what would be the point of any of those without the joy? Wouldn’t it be magnificent if all we had to do was pursue what gives us joy and let the resolutions take care of themselves?

What gives you joy?

May it overflow for you in the new year.