Jesse Metcalf posted this quote on Twitter on Friday:
“Our fears don’t stop death … they stop life.” Rickson Gracie (He is a Brazilian martial arts athlete.)
This phrase stuck in my mind throughout the day. He is correct too much fear can stop us from finding the joy in the present moment. When we miss the joy of the present, we miss important elements of life. For balanced living we need a mixture of joys and concerns to occupy our minds.
I put his short simple observation to work and looked for joy as I moved through the hospital here are some joys I found throughout the day:
- Patients being taken to the entrance fully dressed because they were being discharged and they were smiling.
- An employee who was celebrating her 50th birthday and was not bothered by the number “50”. Coworkers who held a celebration for her at work.
- The cafeteria worker who was smiling as she asked each customer what toppings they wanted on their nachos.
- The smile on the face of a cafeteria customer when I asked her to go ahead of me because she had food for 3 people on her tray and I only had food for 1 on my tray.
- I nurse I don’t see often who said “Hello” and told me she missed seeing over the past few weeks.
I hope this lists helps you make a short list of joys you experience today!