Yearning for the “Swinging” Life
One thing we all hear nowadays is that if we want to find balance and calm in our lives – we need to look inward. That, we are preached at, is the kind of happiness that matters.
I get that mindset. It’s probably why I go to yoga three times a week – to reduce stress and anxiety, to enhance my moods and promote a positive outlook on life.
And yet, we find joy constantly in the material world too.
Every hour of every day, the mundane objects and spaces that we interact with can also vastly affect our mood and outlook.
For instance, a dirty computer keyboard elicits immediate irritation when I sit down in front of my computer. A clean one – free of debris, crumbs and dirt particles – elicits a sense of peace.
Every time I walk into my master bedroom, I am grossed out by the dirt and grime which has accumulated on our wall-to-wall ivory carpeting. I keep reminding myself that as soon as our new puppy is trained, we can get it professionally cleaned. Still, it depresses me.
I can’t stand a bunch of random papers on my kitchen counter and the jumbled-up mess in my linen closet.
On the other hand, the arrangement of richly purple silk flowers in my guest room fills me with sunny thoughts. The new way I arranged my non-fiction books in my library is soul-satisfying. Looking at my grandmother’s teacups neatly lined up in a glass cabinet off my kitchen soars my spirits.
We shouldn’t feel guilty when we put effort into enhancing the beauty of our surroundings. It is not a frivolous indulgence. We shouldn’t be made to feel shallow or overly materialistic because we put effort into the aesthetics. (Aesthetics deal with the nature of beauty and encompasses visual appeal and its emotional impact.)
“Joy is a momentary and intense experience of positive emotion,” so says author Ingrid Fetell Lee in her book Joyful.
“Joy,” Lee says, “can be recognized by certain telltale signs: smiling, laughing, and a feeling of wanting to jump up and down.”
Who doesn’t want more of that twirling, giggling and exuberant emotions in our lives?
How to incorporate into our external environments those things that elicit such joy?
Here’s some wisdom from Ingrid Fetell Lee:
Utilize bright and vibrant colors: they stir us out of complacency like a shot of caffeine. Color pulls joy to the surface.
Work near a window and spend time in nature: this increases our exposure to daylight, which in turn reduces blood pressure, promotes higher energy levels, and can even lengthen life span.
Mix different variations of light – keeping in mind that the brightest places are where people will tend to congregate so adapt accordingly. (Lee recommends choosing light bulbs with a Coloring Rendering Index (CRI) of 100.)
Decrease the volume of furniture – smaller furniture creates more negative space – thus allowing more freedom of movement.
Swing – one of my sons has a full-size swing in his basement for his kids. Every time I visit, I creep down into the basement and push-off – going higher and higher – feeling less and less constrained – and more and more rejuvenated.
After my last visit, I return home, lamenting the fact I don’t have a basement. I begin looking around my small and compact yard, taking note of my huge, over-hanging oak trees.
“Where could I put a swing?” I wonder. “Roped around one of those branches perhaps?”
It becomes apparent that the only space that will work on my corner lot is in my front yard – a front yard which has clear visual proximity to a very busy street.
Would I look ridiculous – a 77 year-old crone – swinging wildly in her front yard??????
Probably.
But it’s not going to stop me from my continuous quest for JOY!Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
Fully Enjoy the Fourth of July and
Don’t Miss Those Spectacular Fireworks,
