Finding balance means looking at both good and bad sometimes.
I talk about finding awe, wonder and joy on a daily basis with my clients. “But I do a gratitude journal” they will often answer. Absolutely nothing wrong with that and I never want them to stop doing that journal alongside what I ask them to do as well.
This is different because Awe, Wonder and Joy are words that bring out different feelings than gratitude. I am grateful I have a car. I get a sense of pure joy and awe when I see a buzzard flying above me while out on a walk.
If I ask someone to tell me about their week, they will often use “feeling words” to describe how they felt during the week, in many cases we default to the “easier” choice and have a grumble about things.
Finding balance means looking for situations that evoke the positive feelings to describe their week. A great cuppa can be a sanctuary of calm and serenity on a crazy day! Seeking out those opportunities to find surprise and delight in the midst of everything can make such a big difference in your mental health and emotional happiness.
When we seek awe, wonder and joy in our daily lives we can start to find it easier and it helps us reframe the bad days by taking the proverbial edge off. Does bad stuff still happen? Of course it does, but despite the roughest of days there is very often still one small thing that can bring you awe, wonder or joy.
From a bumblebee on a flower to a huge deal you signed and anything in between, there are so many things that can bring us awe, wonder and joy. Quite simply put, we just need to look for them.
If you need help with getting started on that awe, wonder and joy journey give me a shout and let’s have a brain jam!