Joy and The Grand Canyon

A few months ago, I decided I wanted more joy, more enthusiasm, and more fun in my life.

This is a photo of me from the Grand Canyon last week. I went on an incredible road trip and saw Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and both Zion and Bryce National Parks.

I hadn’t been on a trip since last December.

It was glorious to be out of the smoke in LA seeing blue skies and breathing clean air. And- there was beauty everywhere. I felt enthusiasm. I felt joy. And I definitely had fun.

For most of my life, joy has taken a back seat to WORK. I was taught by my father that hard work is really important. Here’s the problem- whether I was working for someone else or working for myself, the work never seemed to be done.

I used to think- once I finish this project or accomplish this goal or get from here to there THEN I can start to prioritize joy. As if joy is something that has to be won or deserved.

The truth is, without joy and fun there wasn’t a lot of enthusiasm in my life either. Life felt like a chore, something I had to get through to reach some utopia on the other side.

So I decided to make a change.

I worked with my coach to design a project to bring more joy and enthusiasm into my life (and yes- coaches have coaches!) This gave me the opportunity to really think about- what does bring me joy? Where do I feel most alive? When am I most enthusiastic?

For a project like this- it isn’t about just the big things- joy doesn’t have to mean big giant roller-coaster joy. Joy can be small. Here are a few of the things I’ve committed to- keeping fresh flowers in the house, running in the morning or going for a walk at twilight when the light in southern California becomes magical, and driving to see the ocean or the mountains once a week.

Fostering and adopting a dog are on my list too- for those of you who’ve been following me you know- fostering Pink opened me up to so much joy and so much love.

Here’s what has happened so far- I feel happier. I’m more at ease. I started working with a writing coach to finally flesh out the book I’ve been talking about for thirty years. I felt joy every time I took my foster dog for a run or a twilight walk. I now notice the butterflies and the wild parrots of Pasadena, and I smile behind my mask and wave to every neighbor I pass.

And, when a friend suggested a road trip during a pandemic, instead of immediately saying NO, I chose to go on an adventure. This is how I came to sit on the edge of the Grand Canyon in a state of joyful wonder on a Monday afternoon.

And, here’s what I didn’t expect- I had one of the best months I’ve ever had in my business last month.

Wait, what? How is that connected?

What I consistently see in my clients and in myself, is that when we slow down and work on ourselves everything in our lives can change.

So- what is the “more” you want in your life? Do you want more joy? More enthusiasm? More money? More time? Whatever it is, it’s available to you. Not WHEN you accomplish something big or reach some major milestone, but right now. Today.

If you are curious about creating more in your life I’m launching a small coaching group for women this Fall (and I also have a couple of 1:1 coaching spots available- I work with women and men.) Reach out to me if you’d like to know more.