The other day I was chatting with my mama. Not heavily complaining to her, but definitely seeking her counsel and comfort.
She’s always been my rock. I wrote to her once that she’s the foundation of love in my life and this is still 100% true.
As she offered her wise reflections to my challenges, she reminded me of something that I needed to hear again…
She said, “Remember when you were in high school and you decided you were just going to plan to have fun no matter what when you would go out with your friends? And remember what happened when you made that decision? You stopped needing to control everything and you started really enjoying yourself.”
And I do totally remember that shift in focus. It was a game changer. I shifted from coming home after nights out feeling disappointed, expectations unmet, like I was missing out on the good times.
I started consciously cultivating my focus before I went out. I would decide to enjoy myself, however the experience unfolded. I would choose joy and to have fun, no matter what.
Of course, in her gentle wisdom at the time, it was my mom who inspired me to practice this mindset of consciously choosing how I want to feel.
She has never studied the law of attraction or had any formal spiritual training, but she’s always been a sage guide to me.
Even at the young age of 15, I was already on a journey to more fully understand myself and cultivate more joy in my experience. And I feel so blessed to have her by my side all these years to support and nurture the spiritual journey I have chosen.
Now here I am at 38, having learned what feels like so damn much, and at the same time, still uncovering deeper layers of understanding with each passing day.
How blessed I am to have this wise and nurturing woman in my life to support and guide me.
She is the perfect mom for me and there are just not enough words to express the depth of my gratitude.
As I reflect on this auspicious full moon, contemplating what’s feeling aligned in my life and what I’d like to be creating, I remember my gracious mama’s reminder…and as I make wishes, write down plans, and envision sweet dreams, I choose to prioritize fun. To cultivate that feeling of play that invites more presence and pleasure and joy into our experience.
Even way back then, I think I knew that fun is at the heart of joy {even as challenging as it was for this perfectionist to surrender to allowing fun rather than trying to control the experience!}.
Deciding to enjoy our experience gives us freedom. To release expectation. To be open the magic of not controlling every moment. To experiencing the richness of presence and play that comes from being in the moment, accepting, honoring and appreciating the journey.
This very awareness is what allows us to create a lifestyle where work feels like play, where happiness is a practice, where joy is possible even in the challenge or the sorrow, where love is the way.
In case you need a little reminder, whether it’s during a trip to the grocery store, a night out with friends, bedtime with your babes, a hand in hand walk with your lover, an epic adventure, a day at work, a conversation with your mom…remember that every moment is an opportunity to choose joy.
We have the power to choose how we want to experience our lives.
And I’m continuing to practice having fun and welcoming play into my life.
My mom is pretty damn smart and oh so wise….she knows what’s up.
I invite you to practice with me.
Plan to have fun, no matter what. And you’ll welcome more freedom, joy and presence into your life experience.
Totally worth it.
p.s. This is a pic of me and my gorgeous mama…so radiant, vibrant, healthy and strong. She gifted me a date to a local writer’s conference for my birthday this spring. Did I mention how I thoughtful and generous she is, too? Wow. I’m blessed. Whoever is LOVE in your life, remember to reflect it to them…tell them, hug them, be present with them. Life is like a flash of lightning, luminous and beautiful and oh so fleeting. xo
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