She invited me this morning: ‘Come for a walk and experience the breeze’
‘Tomorrow, perhaps? I’ve got a busy schedule today.’ I responded.
Mid-morning, she asked me to go to the window and look at the rain-soaked leaves.
‘Not now. I’ve got a post to write.’
‘Spend ten minutes playing ball with Pablo?’ she gently asked me this evening.
‘Not today. I’ve got to finish this article.’
Every day she invites me and most often I turn her down.
She’s that voice in my head,
That invitation to joy
But I keep refusing –
Postponing joy!
If you ignore the little voice that keeps extending an invitation to joy, it may go silent. Listen. ~ Cheryl Richardson.
Today I listened. Ask me what I did? You may not believe me. But then I did tell you about slowing down.
I lay down this afternoon and fell fast asleep. I woke up when Jose called, spoke to him and went back to bed – to read and laze. All this while knowing I had a post (or two) to write, comments to answer and lots of little things to do around the house. There was another voice in my head, the one I’m more prone to listen to – guilt – but I told him to shut up and go get a life! 😉
I want to be nice to myself. To respond to that invitation to joy every time I hear it. I want to live in the present moment and enjoy it.
A great example in this story.
Sharing a story from his childhood in Africa, Dr Wes Stafford, tells of the time French Colonial officials attempted to conduct a survey in a village. They wanted to know what the expectations of the people were and what they wanted in the future. Dr Stafford writes in his book, Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most
The chief and his tribal elders tried to explain to their exasperated visitors that they really didn’t know the answers to those kinds of questions, because the future had not yet arrived. When the time came to pass, then the results would be apparent. This, to be sure, made the officials less than pleased. And they left, in a huff.
That day, at dusk, the village gathered in the chief’s courtyard. He said, “I want to talk to the children tonight.”
“We are not like them,” the chief told the children. “To them time is everything… the smaller that men can measure the day, the more angry they seem to be.”
The chief went on. “The present is now–the days we live today. This is God’s gift to us. It is meant to be enjoyed and lived to the fullest. The present will flow by us, of course, and become the past. That is the way of a river, and that is the way of time. The Frenchmen cannot wait for the future to arrive. They crane their necks to see around the bend in the river. They cannot see it any better than we can, but they try and try. For some reason, it is very important for them to know what is coming toward them. They want to know it so badly that they have no respect for the river itself. They thrash their way into the present in order to see more around the bend.
They miss so much of the joy of today all around them. Did you notice that as they stormed into our village, they didn’t notice it is the best of the mango season?
Though we offered them peanuts, they did not even taste them.They did not hear the birds in the trees or the laughter in the marketplace. We touched them with our hands, but they did not really see us. They miss much of the present time, because all they care about is the unknowable, the future. The present is all we can fully know and experience, so we must.
We must love each other. We must smell the hibiscus flowers. We must hear the singing of the weaver birds and the grunts of the lions. We must taste with joy the honey and the peanut sauce on the rice. We must laugh and cry and live.”
What better invitation to joy can there be than the words of that village chief?
Are you responding positively to every invitation to joy you get?
In case you’re wondering about the comments from earlier, that’s because I’m republishing this post from 2014. I’ll confess that it was such a great reminder to me, that I was tempted to rework it and republish this post.
Beautiful and inspirational post! So often the joy comes from the little things, and so often we miss out by being too busy or inattentive. Thank you for the reminder.
Laurel Regan recently posted..Tangled Tuesday No. 9: Canada Day Edition!
“To them time is everything… the smaller that men can measure the day, the more angry they seem to be.” – wow! This is a very sobering thought. I also want to live in the moment and not miss it.
Susan Evans recently posted..Staycation: Exploring Spokane
So glad you listened to Joy and took time for yourself. It can be really hard to not listen to “guilt” – I’m trying to remember I need to take more time out for myself, without feeling guilty. Thanks for the inspiration.
Little White Dinosaur recently posted..Why it’s ok to “sensor” your Facebook page
Beautifully written:) loved it…
Corinne, I am so inspired by this today. Thank you.
Carol Cassara ( recently posted..Closure ain’t all that
Yes, love is spelled Time. 🙂 And so is Joy! I respond more often now than I did before.
I love how you’ve made Joy a “she” and Guilt a “he”.
Vidya Sury recently posted..21 Easy Healthy Living Tips
Oh, yes! Responding with joy in the present moment! That’s what life is truly all about. And, I’m so glad you told “Guilt” to take a hike. Hope it’s a LONG one! 🙂
Blessings, Corinne!
Martha Orlando recently posted..I Love You, God!
Lovely post!!! The story about the Frenchmen thrashing through the river is such a perfect analogy for what we do nowadays, always wanting to know what’s beyond the bend; once we get there, we want to know what’s beyond the next bend!
Fab recently posted..Morning Musings
Enjoying our present life to the fullest is the key to a happy life. …Inspiring post Corinne.
wonderful post. How small little things brings a smile on face
Tina recently posted..Five Sentence Fiction – Hard Decision
Corrine, this is a very inspiring post.
A good reminder to stop and smell the roses, savour each moment and do the things that really matter – like playing ball with Pablo. Nice post Corinne.
Suzy recently posted..UBC Jul 3 – Row Row Row Your Boat
Even if we say this in a million ways, people will still dissect time and continue to waste precious moments they can spend making memories and staying happy. Lovely post as always Corinne.
Bhavya recently posted..To Be A Proper Lady
Simply beautiful and sooooo inspiring! It’s true, we usually worry about the future and forget all about the present. Recently got this message on Whatsapp, which said, “today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday!” We must truly live and savor the present and listen to that little voice more often! 🙂
Shilpa Garg recently posted..Flashback
Hi Corinne,
What a thought provoking and inspiring post! I really needed to read this today. Thank you!!
Trish
View from the Birdhouse
I consider them fortunate who can pay heed to those inner voices.. That often gets crushed in mundane workload 🙁
Jayanta Tewari recently posted..Have you listened to the wind lately?
Corinne-
This piece is lovely and hit me in the heart. I believe strongly that JOY is our purpose on this earth. 99.9% of us get caught up in the ‘must do’ – when in fact, our instincts tell us much of the time to just let go and do what brings you joy. We need to listen to that ‘gremlin of a vocie’ more. Am so glad you were able to do so today. xo-Fran
Fran Sorin recently posted..Write Your Own Story
Its so important to enjoy the little things in life isn’t it? 🙂
we find the most joy in the smallest of things.. everyday stuff like a nap, a book, an ice cream cone.. rains! 🙂
May you always find joy in your life! 🙂
inspiring post 🙂
Wouldn’t it be delicious if we could listen to every invitation of joy and respond to her, instead of just reacting ? 🙂
I loved the genders too , a she joy and a he guilt 😛
Many an invitation has gone unnoticed, unanswered…but these days I try to do it, because I’ve started seeing greater beauty in each moment 🙂
Sreeja Praveen recently posted..The Judgement…
Such an amazing post Corinne… There is nothing like to be joyful. And this is best understood with kids. No matter whatever goes in their small world still they always surrounded with joy, happiness and fun.they are the inspiration for the adults like us.