Crash!
Last week I was driving past a bunch of kids playing in a playground. They were having so much fun! As I was passing them, I watched a little boy, about 4 or 5 years old, crash his tricycle into the fence. It was hard to tell if he couldn’t stop, or if he was intentionally looking to bounce off of the fence. When I looked back, from the red light that stopped me, I saw that he got up, dusted himself off and got right back on his tricycle.
That kid inspired me and reminded me that there are times in our lives that we are going to “crash”. At that point, we have a choice. Do we get up, dust our knees off and keep going? Or, do we stop a minute, access the damage and make choices accordingly?
The key to raising your Joy Factor, so that you are living a life that you are madly in love with, is to be conscious about your choices. There is no right or wrong-only what is. If you can bounce back up like one of those weebles, remember them? Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down. Take what you can from the experience and move on.
Everytime we are stopped on our paths, it is for a reason. Opportunities to make sure we are going in the right direction are presented to us again and again. When these choices arise, I invite you to use the components of the Joy Factor to support you in deciding what your next steps are. Is it in alignment with your Passions and Purpose, your Authentic Self? Does it support your commitment to Self Care and Strategic Optimism? Look there and then choose what your next steps are. In the meantime, look out for fences and remember to use your brakes-sometimes slowing down will prevent that crash! That is a another conversation for another day.
With conscious joyful awareness,
Wendy
Wendy is a joyful, vibrant human being who sees possibilities everywhere she goes. Whether she is working with a coaching client, creating a piece of art or riding her bicycle 100 miles in one day, the joy of possibility is one of her favorite perspectives. Alot of her joy comes from spending time with her husband Matt and their 2 four-legged kids, Abbey Road and Eli. It also comes from listening to good music, spending time in nature, eating good food and being with friends and family. When all of that happens together, she is in joyful bliss.
“Crash.” What an appropriate title for my day today. When I saw it, I had to laugh. My computer crashed last nite. I know I don’t have to tell you what that’s like. So much for meeting deadlines and commitments. Oy vey. My man’s car is crashed, for 2 months now, and we’re still waiting for the insurance company to pay. Add that to the fact that his second vehicle is a pick-up and isn’t allowed to be parked overnight in our development. Oh no. My investments crashed and my net worth is half what it was. Our cash flow has screeched to a remarkably fast halt. Yikes. Lots and lots of opportunities to look at my next steps…
Going back to bed is the first option to cross my mind. Just pull the covers up, put on the TV and watch Erica Kane, her problems are bigger than mine right? Or – I could get up and keep going. One step at a time. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. I can still choose Joy, I can still look at what is right in my life and be happy right now in this moment. I can be grateful that I have a roof over my head, food in my fridge, gas in my car, a man who loves me beyond words, an awesome family, and a business that feeds my passion and purpose.
Life is a roller coaster ride. The ups are very fun and the downs sometimes take my breath away and cause an upset in my tummy. Time to start going up again and look forward to the fun, anticipate the Joy in the ride. And live in that Joy every single moment. This moment, this one, that’s all I can count on and I can make the best of it! Damn computers…