How to Find Joy In the Chaos

Hi friends! I can't believe we are almost halfway through September, the fall season is trying to load, and our schedules are getting heftier. It's always a weird feeling when the air gets cooler because I wait for it all year long. I dream about the pumpkin-flavored things and cozy sweaters. But once fall arrives, it feels like it passes right in front of me.

I am sure many of you can relate to this, and you wish you could find moments of joy rather than being stuck in the busy schedules, rushed mornings, and chaotic events. Honestly, my life has been kind of wild right now. I feel like I am constantly moving without moments of peace, but I don't want that. We all deserve to enjoy life and live joyfully in every season.

That's why I wanted to share some ways we can all find the joy within the chaos, because I believe we all need it more than ever.

1. Adapt a mindful perspective.

   This seems like something I have promoted over and over, but it's truly something that can be beneficial. I need to be better at it, and I'm sure you can see where you can too. Our society has made it a norm to be swallowed by headlines, chaos, news, and fear. When we should really be embracing the present, peacefulness, nature, and love. When we allow ourselves to shift our focus that eliminates unnecessary worry, anxiety-ridden thoughts, and uncontrollable fears. Try things like journaling, meditation, walks, breaks from social media, etc. to slowly adapt this mindfulness.

   
   

2. Do things for yourself.

   You may be thinking, "I have no time for that" or "I'm fine". The truth is you have time for what you prioritize, and we deserve to prioritize our wellbeing some of the time. Oftentimes when we get busy or overwhelmed, we forget our bodies are going through that too. We need time to breathe, reset, and refocus. I encourage you to do self care once a week, buy yourself that iced coffee, go on a solo date, etc. Do things that help you love yourself better!

   
   

3. Foster the opportunities around you.

   I am the type of person that checks off my to-do list and memorizes my calendar, but sometimes I forget that there are opportunities all around me. Some of the most joyful moments are those that were unexpected or the least likely. We skip opportunities right in front of us, walk past missed joys, and say "no" before we even think. What if we did unexpected things? What if we just said "yes"? I encourage you to visit with friends, go to the new restaurants, or try out that pottery class. We never know what is meant for us if we don't let it happen.

   
   

4. Love well.

   Last, but certainly not least, sometimes we need a reminder to love well. You may be thinking this is an odd focus or unreasonable, but I am here to tell you that the middle of chaos can be full of forgetfulness, selfishness, fear, pain, and struggles. We often forget that the entire point of this thing we call "life" is to love. To love our family, love ourselves, love our friends, love strangers, love our enemies, to love it all. When we love well, we often don't feel much else. Love is greater than all emotions and can dismiss any amount of chaos in our life. So, if you are feeling overwhelmed ask yourself, "Am I loving well?".

I want to be full of joy daily. I don't want to feel trapped by society, fear, or my own emotions. We are blessed to live life in a way that is free and full of hope. I hope this blog encourages you today, this week, this year. I hope we can remember this lesson when we feel controlled by chaos or when the world feels too big. There is love, joy, and peace right in front of us, we just forget to see it. Let me know how you have been feeling this season. Are there any tips that help you focus on the joy? Talk to you next time!

-Kami