Choosing Joy

#choosingjoy

I lost my job recently.

The job search process, as expected, has been frustrating.

My soul gets bruised whenever I am asked to fit my form into some extremely limiting expectations. You know, we humans are not manufactured in some factory to certain specifications. And yet, the hiring process often screens people as if we were. Increased automation using systems like ATS has only exacerbated this approach.

In any case, over the last few days, inspired by my recent conversation with a good friend & an amazing leadership coach, Robin, I decided to pay attention to things that bring me joy & invest in those.

So this morning, I made a big beautiful breakfast for myself - pancakes (I like them with a lot of texture - coconut, nuts & seeds) & foamy 'filter' coffee. I have been avoiding them, especially coffee, for various health reasons. But now, I wanted to indulge. It was a happy meal.

After that I went for a run at the Duck Pond with my daughter. Running on tracks is work. But running at the Duck Pond is pure joy. Especially when spring flowers are bursting out, when the egrets & blue jays are all flapping and chirping around. I am glad I chose joy.

Running with my younger daughter made it even more pleasurable. She was having such a good laugh at how slow I was & I was feeling so happy seeing her laugh at me 😊.

At the end of the trail, we both went on swings for a bit before heading back. Swinging - again is pure joy, and again it is one of those things I don't normally go for.

I didn't take any photos, but there were many picture perfect moments. The sketch below is my attempt to capture one - the Great Egret, a symbol of grace & resilience, chilling on Saddle River, flanked by cherry blossoms - proportions are off, but the picturesqueness is there 😀.

Afterwards, the rest of the day got busy with things that had to be done - phone calls, emails, a dentist appointment & a dance class drop off.

And then at night, when I got the next chance, I went for it again - made Idlis for dinner (a typical south Indian breakfast food that I absolutely love) & a really tall glass of chamomile tea. I also gave myself a good massage using the Theragun.

After all of this I thought I was going to sleep well. But I didn't.

Ideas and thoughts kept flooding me….in great detail, keeping me awake.

For instance, what if we can make electricity completely free (not subsidized), at least for public services infrastructures such as schools, hospitals, post offices, court houses, public works departments etc? How do we mobilize financing for such initiatives? How to enable some of the micro-business ideas that could provide infrastructure, goods & services with low-to-no cost energy and extremely low-to-no wastage and contamination?

Instead of feeling sleepy, I was feeling inspired.

Perhaps I could bring some of those ideas to reality someday.

Perhaps... I could chase joy everyday.