Taking a Break

Editor’s Note: Introducing Following Your Joy’s first guest blogger! The honor goes to my favorite guy in the whole world—my husband, my cheerleader, my best friend, my soulmate, my live-in comedian, my fellow joy-follower, Bill Stimpson.

A new lesson for me is that gratitude and joy go hand-in-hand. Where there is joy, gratitude is always present. And when I come from a place of gratitude, joy will certainly follow. After seeing this idea in writing now, I feel a bit silly making such a simple announcement!

But until this past week, though, I never really understood it.

I don’t know that it’s possible to live a life that is joyful in all moments, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. Just like everyone else, I have those rough days, or sometimes rough stretches of days, when joy seems like a foreign concept. I recently had a particularly challenging week, culminating in a Friday that I thought would never end. However, it all changed in an instant, with a simple expression of gratitude.

An office getaway

That day, I needed to get away from the office for lunch. So along with a few of my co-workers, we Read more »

I recently stumbled upon a willow tree near my walking path. It reminded me of when I was a kid and I used to love the willow tree in my grandparents’ backyard, where I’d hide amongst its long wispy branches. So a few weeks ago on my walk, I kept feeling a nudge to go over to the tree; to be a kid again and feel its safe protection.

But the tree was far off the path, and the grass was wet from a recent rain, and I didn’t want my new running shoes to get muddy, and on and on including a ton of other excuses.

At about that same time, a good friend had her 40th birthday party at a roller rink. She rented out the entire place for a few hours and we were all invited to join in on the fun. When I was a kid, I was a fantastic skater, and I was excited to see the good ol’ neighborhood rink once again and hang out. As Bill and I were getting ready to leave the house, though, I emphatically asserted myself and said, “I’m just letting you know right now that I’m not putting on skates!”

My reaction about the burden of going over to the tree and my stubbornness about not budging with the idea of skating had me, well, pretty disappointed in myself. I always say that life is all about living…but for whatever reason, I seemed to have Read more »

One of our best vacations last year was a trip to Northern California where Bill and I spent time hiking in the Redwoods, driving along the coast, exploring the wine country, connecting with loved family members, and just being. Ten days of fantastic vacationing.

I recall being at the airport before boarding the plane back to Minneapolis. From my cell phone, I checked in with a few family members back home, and each call eagerly began with the voice on the other end saying, “So, what was the highlight of your trip?” And each time, my mind raced, struggling with a battle inside of what an appropriate response might be…you know, those “should’s.”

I felt like I should respond with: “Being in the presence of those magnificent ancient Redwoods” (which, they were magnificent!) or “Feeling moved to tears as we saw Mount Shasta making its presence known in the horizon” (which really did move me) or “Driving along the rugged California coast and looking out at the ocean” (yes, what a sight!).

But I knew that if I were to give the response that came straight from the depth of my heart and soul, it would be Read more »

One of my favorite days of the summer happened last week. It was a special day with my 13 year-old niece, Hannah—a summer date together before school started once again. It was pouring rain, so all plans for outdoor fun got shelved, and we found ourselves at the largest mall in the country, Mall of America.

Being in the moment

For that afternoon, I forgot about office details or tasks that needed to be tended to at home. I was away from my computer and didn’t have to think about the bills. Instead, I got to see the world through the eyes of a delightful teenager who hasn’t even had to ponder the world of adult responsibility. Every moment with Hannah was a pleasure, and it reminded me to move away from the things that bog me down…and slow down and play a little.

We both made a conscious decision to enjoy the rainy day inside. And I knew we meant business when shortly after entering the Mall, Hannah said, “Auntie Michelle, this day is going to be so much fun!”

We ate our Mexican lunch in the food court and talked about boys, our music tastes, Facebook, and Read more »