Joy defeats fear! Did you know that? The two cannot co-exist, and joy is the trump card! Think about it. Have you ever felt fear when you were full of joy? Joy is the overcomer. The challenge is to find that joy. How can we do it?
According to Maria von Trapp’s song in The Sound of Music, “…when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad.” She “sang” her list of favorite things:
“...raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mitten, wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings, girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, silver white winters that melt into springs...”
According to Maria, these were her favorite things and they brought her joy when things got tough.
What makes you smile? What brings you joy? Make a list! It will do your “JoyBox” good! Begin right now. I’ll help you along by sharing some of mine. Perhaps these will remind you of some you need to recall.
- A kiss from my husband
- The laughter of a baby
- The first flowers that open outside our door in the spring
- The smell of the lilac trees when in full bloom
- Hiking beside a stream in the mountains where I can hear the water flowing well
- Sunlight or moonlight sparkling on snow
- The first bluebirds that arrive in the spring
- The return of the song birds every spring and their sound throughout the summer
- Lambing season — nothing prettier than lambs in the green paddocks in the spring
- Baby ducklings and goslings as they swim or waddle behind their parents to explore their new world
- The sound of rain
- Talking to my granddaughters or watching them play
- The smell of ozone in the air after a thunderstorm
- Morning sun on frosted trees and shrubs
- Rainbows
- The sound of children at play
- Wind symphonies in the Ponderosa Pines
- Sunlight (or moonlight) dancing on a river
- Hummingbirds feeding from flowers or feeders or zipping by
- A full moon
- The smell of a damp forest
These are a few of my favorite things, and the “joy” of them all is that although not one costs a penny, they all bring me joy. Thinking of them dispels my fears.
So what is on your list?
