Day 1,066 – Finding Joy in the Journey – Sunday – 10/4/2020
One of the Things
One of the things I have really focused on during this journey is how I talk to myself. I’ve found that I can be my biggest critic. I also found that when something goes wrong, I want to blame someone else and not take responsibility.
In learning to find my joy, I have found that as we learn to love ourselves for the person we truly are, we begin to not be so hard our ourselves. We begin to learn from our mistakes and perceived failures. We can take those experiences as growth. We begin to fully take responsibility of our lives. We can’t always control everything that happens to us though we can control how we react and move forward.
In June, I decided to make golf my hobby. So, I committed to lessons, playing more often and joining a country club. I have found there are many days that as I get better, I begin to beat myself up more and become critical of my mistakes. I started letting the game stress me out instead of going out enjoying. I was more worried about my score than if I was having fun.
This entry into golf has been a reminder that when I let go of the score, let go of trying to be the best and enjoy the game; it is when I learn the most, do better and have the most fun.
As in life, when we learn to love ourselves for where we are at and take responsibility for our choices and learn from them, we truly live our best lives.
About “Finding Joy”
And I’m off…. the 16-day adventure begins. The timing of this trip is interesting so I’m naming it “Finding Joy in the Journey.” I’ll be doing one dedicated post each day (at the end of the day or next morning). Since I typically post more than once a day, you’ll find it as a black and white photo. I’ll share the joy of the journey (on the trip or through this season), where I’m finding it and what I’m learning. I hope to inspire myself along the way. And if I can inspire others too, that would be a gift. So let the journey begin…
It was November 2017 and I was ready to head off on a sixteen-day trip. Nine days before leaving, my mom unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack. It shook me to my core. I had always been told the 40’s are the best years of your life. And in a matter of three years, since turning the age of 40, I had gone through a divorce and lost both parents.
I contemplated canceling the trip though I knew my mom would not be happy with that decision. She would want me to continue living my life. My parents did not raise me to sit back and watch life; instead to fully participate in every moment. So I promised my parents to find joy in the journey everyday on my sixteen-day trip and share my experience with others.
Little did I know what “Finding the Joy in the Journey” would turn into when I acted on the prompting to share my experience on a daily basis. It helped me see life differently and my wish is that it will inspire others find joy in their journey.
