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Today I’ll Feel Joy, No Matter What

October 14, 2016 by Diane

Start Each Day Like Its Your Birthday quote

Today I’ll find a reason to feel joy. It doesn’t need to be a good reason. It can be real or imagined, big or trivial. It can be the smile someone sends me, or the smile I send to someone. It can be the penny I find, and the happy dance I do in celebration, or the unexpected gift of one thousand dollars (come on, universe!). It can be the time I spend at the ocean hand in hand with a terrific guy, even if that time is spent in my imagination. It can be the chocolate Javiva from Peet’s that I take to the park, along with a sigh-worthy romance novel. It can be the smell of a book, the taste of a cupcake, the hug from a friend, a new pair of shoes, the view of the mountains from a hiking trail, the sound of rain on the leaves at night, and the feel of cool, fresh, moist air through the window. Today I’ll find a reason to feel joy.

Today I’ll find a reason to laugh. It doesn’t need to be a funny reason. It can be for no particular reason. It can be while sitting in my car at a stop light, or while walking in the neighborhood in the evening. It can be while folding laundry, washing dishes, taking out the recycling, slicing strawberries and bananas for my granola, or pausing in nature. It can be because of a screwy thought I have, or an odd comment I overhear, or a mistake I’ve made one too many times. It can be while watching an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show on DVD, or while talking to my mother on the phone. Today I’ll find a reason to laugh.

Today I’ll find a reason to shove my anxiety aside. It doesn’t need to be a big reason. It can be small or silly, real or imagined. It can mean setting aside, for five minutes, my worry over the weird pains in my head and the fact that I’m getting older. It can mean sending my short story to someone to read, even if it’s not perfect. It can mean driving over a bridge in the rain, or looking someone intimidating in the eye, or refusing to engage in the latest political discourse. It can mean observing, with great compassion, the adrenaline shooting through my nervous system, and not reaching for an Ativan. Today I’ll find a reason to shove my anxiety aside.

Today, and every day, I’ll find a reason to feel joy, to laugh, and to set aside my anxiety, no matter what.

This is my birthday wish.

This is my birthday wish for you, too.

Every moment, we’re born anew. And every moment is a gift, an opportunity to experience joy, merriment, and peace.

Happy birthday, world!


14 Comments »

  1. mydangblog says:

    Thanks for this–my anxiety is in overdrive right now, and this was a great affirmation. I’m going to read it again now:-)

    • Diane says:

      Yeah, I needed it too. Glad it was helpful! The anxiety monster can be overwhelming, and a brute to shove aside, but with great determination…

  2. Tonya says:

    Happy Birthday! And here’s another reason to smile–you made a “stranger” from elsewhere on the interwebz smile. We can mirror each other’s smiles. 🙂

  3. Joan says:

    That is so beautiful and such a wonderful outlook! I wish for you to have this truth last all day, all year and your whole lifetime! Happy birthday Diane!!!! You are loved!

  4. Joan says:

    Such a great revelation! Why do we let stuff get in the way of our peace and happiness? We all need to practice this! Happiness is a choice!

  5. Riley says:

    I love these thoughts. Thank you for sharing!!

    I found joy in being able to drag myself out of bed and get an hour of work done before I had to leave for a Dr’s appointment. Then, I laughed when I got home and found my cat had left a mess for me to clean up; ok…so maybe it was more of a scoff than a laugh but I did laugh at the irony that of the few times I actually get to leave my house and have an enjoyable afternoon the cat creates extra work. 🙂

    I like this–if we start each day out like it’s our birthday does that mean we get to take the day off….EVERY day? OOOh…and eat cake for breakfast every morning. Who could be anxious doing that, right?! LOL

  6. Bun Karyudo says:

    It’s good to find the joy in small things. For myself, I’ve been watching old episodes of “The Rockford Files” on DVD. I still enjoy the show despite its age.

  7. Sarah says:

    This is so incredibly wonderful. Happy Birthday, lovely lady. And I will, find a reason to feel joy, laugh, and shove anxiety off a cliff. *ah* Even if it’s not for a “big” reason. I’ll find something for each of these. <3

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