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Here’s my confession: I have never been naturally good at embracing my present. I have the eyes of a visionary and I love to look to the future with all its hope and possibility. It is so much easier for me to think about what could be than what is right now, today.
Because when I am not thinking about today, then I don’t have to feel today and I believe that one of the most difficult things for us as humans is to feel today. If a friend hurt us today, we don’t want to go home and feel that, we want to imagine our new best friend. If our project failed today, we don’t want to grieve the loss of that, we want to dream up something new.
But there is something to be said of today. There is something to be said about feeling today. Because when we block out feeling today, we don’t just block out the hard, but we block out the good. We forget the celebration, the good, and the joy.
And this is an imperfect journey I have been taking myself on lately. I’d like to share with you a few of the fun ways I’ve discovered on how to delight in your present season. Try these, play with them and see if they can give you a joy and passion for today as you experience it.
Count the gifts.
Get thankful for the gifts that today gave you and get really specific. What did today give you that was amazing, that you’re grateful for and that brought you joy? Maybe it was the stranger that smiled at you, how the wind felt on your face or the energy you had when you were working. Count the gifts and say thank you.
Celebrate yourself.
At some point in your day, look at what happened and pick out a few things you’re proud of yourself for. Again these don’t have to be huge things, but what they do is they allow you to celebrate yourself in your current season and that’s really powerful. Maybe you faced a fear, maybe you encouraged someone, or maybe you made yourself dinner for the first time in a month. Celebrate it, so you can delight in it.
Move your body.
Sometimes we can get so much in our heads and that holds us back from being able to delight in our present season. I have found one of the easiest ways to connect to my present season is to move my body because it gets me out of my head. For extra delight, make it something really fun, such as dancing like a fool.
Notice what God says about you.
One of the best things that will empower you to delight in your present season is to hear what God says about you and where you’re at. Because he can give you a perspective that no human ever could including yourself. He is so far beyond and above that it just brings everything into joy. So, try journalling, searching out the scriptures or even asking him, “how can I delight in my present season?”
Create little moments of joy.
If your present season has felt harsh or demanding, one little thing you can do is create opportunities of joy in the midst of it. First, think about what are the things that bring you joy and then, how you can infuse them into the things you’re already doing. For example, if bright colors bring you joy, then maybe you could wear more of them. Or if dancing makes your heart happy, maybe you can dance to your car in the mornings and that becomes your thing.
Acknowledge the present season in someone else.
When we’re in the middle of stuff, we can’t always see clearly. It is always easier to see clearly for someone else than it is for ourselves. What can actually help you to delight in your present season is to acknowledge someone else’s present season and the gifts you see in it. Think of a friend you have. What do you see God doing in them? How do you see them growing? What do you love that they’re learning? Tell them. Call them higher and you’ll instantly become lighter too.
Wherever you’re at and whatever your present season looks like, you can delight in it. Because you’re growing, you’re learning and you’re moving forward and that alone deserves to be delighted in. Keep going, friend.
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