Deficit Spending

Two days ago I reclaimed 12 hours a week of my precious life from my employer (and by the way, I was giving it away, they weren’t taking it). I have committed 2 hours/day to gym time (and the occasional house vacuuming) and writing the blog the other evening took 2.5 hours…there’s a problem. I have gone straight into deficit spending.

So, here are my own personal ground rules. I won’t write lengthy blogs (if I write too late into the evenings I can’t sleep, I get so frigg’n joyful) during the week, but will devote more time on the weekends. During the week I will continue to share only smallish tidbits of miracles that happen during my day. And thus, I will get to keep my sanity. Lynnie with no sleep…it’s not a pretty picture.

OK then.

Something really has shifted since making the commitment to The Experiment. Perhaps what shifted is really only my awareness, but I do sense it is more than that. My Sister e-mailed me to tell me that on the very day I committed to The Joy Experiment she had made a personal commitment to gratitude. These two independent commitments were made 2,000 miles apart and without knowledge of the other. Yesterday at work a colleague told me he was on the verge of “something big.” He said that he wasn’t ready to talk about it, too close to his heart. In the past, I may have pressed him for information, but because of The Experiment, I told him that whatever his “something big” was, I wanted him to know that I had just signed a mental contract (more about this exercise later) in support of his idea. He was very touched…he said words could not adequately say how much that meant to him. I realize now that this exercise is about more than just joy, it’s about thankfulness and recapturing vitality. It’s about feeling hope when it may feel as if the outside world wants to infuse hopelessness.

So, here’s what’s different in my life. I feel better about work; I feel better about my body; I feel more present with the people I talk with at work. And I just got a sporty lapel pin from my daughter that says “grey hair is the new blonde.” I’ll take it that as NOT a slam on my intellect, but rather a statement that grey hair IS sexy. Take that Miss Salesperson who thought my friend was my daughter.

Not too bad for a few days work.

Lynnie

PS A very happy birthday to Lia Joy! Now there’s a girl who lives up to her name!