When a young child is learning to walk and stumbles, we smile and appreciate their flawed effort. But when we’re learning and stumble, we berate ourselves and resent our shortcomings. We watch children struggle with a light heart because we believe in their resiliency and the important role that missteps will play in their growth. But we rarely offer this same belief to ourselves.
Smile when you stumble. It’s a humbling part of being human and gives you the opportunity to rise.
Joy is possible in life but it’s never going to find you or be magically dumped in your lap. I’ve learned that there’s a certain amount of seeking and cultivating that goes into living a joyful life.
Understanding this can either add to your resistance and resentment, or it can add to your joy. We’re often more deeply rewarded by that which comes by taking agency than by that which comes by no effort. This doesn’t mean forcing joy or positivity when you’re struggling or enduring something really challenging. It means living in a state of seeking. Is there joy to be found in unlikely places or mundane moments if you look and listen closely?
To knock is to invite a door to be opened. To seek joy is to create joy.
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