My niece, Giulia, is a pure joy to be around. She is full of life, expression, and compassion. It’s amazing to watch how she sees life and how she takes in all that is around her. It seems easy for her to find wonder in every little thing. And she takes nothing for granted.
Giulia is just shy of 3 and it makes sense that life would be easy because being 3-years-old is…well…not difficult, for sure. Yes, it is easier. But watching her – how she seems to listen to every sound around her, how she questions with incredible intellect even the smallest happenings in her space, how nothing – no laughter, no excitement, no joy – gets by her without some reaction or appreciation – feels like a lesson – a reminder that we move too fast, and miss too many opportunities to find joy because of it. And, perhaps, as a result see things as difficult, taxing, stressful.
A far cry from easy.
I’ve watched Giulia find utter amazement in the sound of an owl hooting, or a school bus driving by. I’ve watched her stop and smell the flowers and gaze in wonder out the car window at the colors of the landscape and the brightness of the full moon.
I am warmed by the excitement she feels when we take a short walk and drop rocks in a pond – listening for their melodic voice as they hit the cool water. Ker-plunk.
When you are around Giulia, you can’t help but be happy as well. You are encouraged to see life through her eyes – pure, honest, beautiful life – and believe you can experience the same lightness in life she feels — by finding joy, happiness, and wonder in almost anything.
And it’s all there for us to find.
Why does it seem we make it harder on ourselves to see what life is really about? We allow “crazy” and “hectic” in and let them take control, causing us to lose balance, not allowing us to slow down – enough. Enough to appreciate the smallest sounds, the tiniest gestures. Enough to take stock in what we have – our abilities, relationships, talents – and be grateful, and happy.
Crazy and hectic cloud our mind, make a mountain out of mole hill, and prevent us too often from living life lighter and living it well. When we stop long enough to be grateful for what is around us – however small – we ground ourselves in the present and allow for worry and stress to evaporate.
To find balance it’s important to recognize the wonder around you.
Imagine how easily we might forget the stress of the day if we stopped when we heard the hoot of an owl and listened intently on his next sound, or took the time to gaze out the window and let the landscape envelop us.
Imagine how easily we might find more lightness in our life if we reminded ourselves how much fun a rainy day can be with an umbrella and rain boots, and how utterly serene and calming a clear, starlit night is in the middle of spring.
Imagine how much happier we all might be if we took a page out of Giulia’s book, went for a short walk and dropped a few rocks in a pond – just to hear the sound.
Ker-plunk.
Ahhh…. the sweet, simple, pure sound of joy.
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