Filling My Joy Tank
Growing up somewhere along the line I was taught and came to believe that there were 3 necessities in life, food, clothing, and shelter. When I taught my children to pray, it was “thank you god, for the roof over my head, the clothes on our back and the food on our plate”. Then someone reminded me about a fourth necessity in life, joy. Joy? Yes, joy.
Where food, clothing and shelter are necessities for my physical well-being, joy is a necessity for my mental health well-being. Per the CDC website the definition for mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.
Creating an environment of a welcoming home, with good food, good drinks, and good conversation, this sparks joy for me. The joy of creating memorable moments with those that we love and hold closet to us. Sitting around our table, sharing stories around a meal, laughing with old and new friends. Sharing in the sorrows of our loved ones and offering comfort to them during difficult times, yes, that also brings joy in a different way. It’s the joy in connection, the social well-being that I hold dear.
This is where I get real. To get to this joy I need to work through my own hesitations. I need to move out of my head and into actions. Let me explain myself a bit here. I’m not comfortable cooking for others. Yes, when you visit with me, please don’t expect a home cooked meal. I’m trying to find the joy in cooking, but I’m not there yet. I order takeout 9 times out of 10 when hosting, the other 1 time, my husband steps up and cooks or grills. I’m also very self-conscious about how clean my house is. Yes, if I’m hosting a large gathering you better believe I’m paying to have someone else clean my house. Those dirty or dusty spots that I have unintentionally turned a blind eye to, someone else will not miss. What else is on my mind, how does my house smell? I’m worried that my house might have a funk that I’m not aware of because I live here. Will I have a candle burning when you arrive, you betcha!
After I’ve moved past these hesitations and a few more, I find myself able to experience the joy. This past week I was able to experience this joy not once but twice. I am thankful that I was able to fill my joy tank by spending time with friends and family enjoying some of the last great moments of summer, creating connections fills me with a feeling of happiness and satisfaction. I am ready to head into the new week a little more prepared to handle stress and make healthy choices.
How about you? I would love to hear what obstacles you might need to overcome, or what brings you to joy and fills your tank as we head into a new week? Leave a comment below, connect with me on Facebook or send me a direct message. I love hearing from you. Your comments and messages bring me joy. Keep the positive thoughts coming!
