We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving.
Friedrich Nietzsche
In a class I was teaching this week I challenged the participants to say one thing they love about their lives. I love this exercise because even though they often start slowly it has the effect of helping people realize that there really is a lot to love in any life.
However, this week I had a woman who raised her hand and informed me that there was absolutely nothing to love about her life.
I asked her “were you wheeled in here on a gurney?” To which, of course, she replied “no.” I asked her if she didn’t love about life that she had enough health to attend a conference. “OK fine,” she replied “I love that I’m still alive.”
That whole interaction really got me thinking about loving life. I believe in living life with abandon. I believe that each day is the putty of our lives to be molded as we see fit. I realize that not all days are easy or fun or even enjoyable but life as a whole is to be lived!
What has happened to so many people that they are walking around dead? The quote at the beginning of this blog says it well. We love life because we are used to loving. Loving life, or not loving life is a habit.
Our lives are made up of habits. If we smoke it is because we began and it became a habit. If we eat too much it is because we have a habit. If we sing and dance and laugh and love on a regular basis it is because it has become a habit!
Cultivate a habit of finding things in life to rejoice about. Cultivate a habit of letting the beauty you see swell your heart until you feel as though you will explode with joy. Cultivate a habit of loving people and receiving love in return.
No one can start a habit for us, we must do it for ourselves. I began to see the beauty in life and now I can’t stop. Ok, truth is, I don’t want to stop. I wish, with all my heart, I could start a, finding things to love in life, habit for that woman I met at the conference. I can’t start a habit for her, or you or anyone but myself.
What are your habits? We start a habit by doing something over and over. I have a habit of finding things to love about you and me and this world. If that makes me a little strange I’ll take strange any day.
I love you, it’s true. Many of you I have yet to meet but I keep you in my heart and count you as blessings in my life.
What’s to love about life? You’re here, I’m here, we make choices. Make each day a little more joy filled.
Here’s to your continued success.
Janice,
What a wonderful idea! I have journeyed through many self improvement books and CDs, the greatest of these being the Bible and I have never thought to make a habit out of being joyful. Joy comes when you are at peace with yourself, when you have built a stronghold against the negativity from without as well as from within. Seeing the masterpiece created with precision perfection – just for us – in all of nature.
There is joy everywhere but people are looking in the wrong place. It is not something you buy and it is not something large. Life is made up of little things. We are made of little things. Our bodies are full of cells, when combined and held together, make us whole.
Unfortunately I micro-manage the family. I am the one who sets the tone of the day and lays down the agenda for our free time. I like shoving as much family time/fun oriented activities in our schedule as I can. After reading your post, I want to find a way to include joy. My husband’s favorite phrase is, “that makes me happy”. I want to stop and point out things that will “make us happy” when we see them. To form a habit.
If you haven’t read the post I wrote after the conference, please do. I share a short list of things I love about life. Thank you for asking the question.
I am so glad you have Koa, it heals my heart. I read about Nani on the second day of the conference and my heart went out to you.
I look forward to seeing you again,
Odelia
By: Odelia on June 17, 2009
at 8:37 am
Odelia,
You are an incredible woman with a beautiful light that shines out of you. I feel very blessed to get to know you. I went and looked at your list of things that make you happy. I’s a beautiful list and isn’t it amazing that there is so much that can make us happy when we just let go and let life make us happy?
I could look around right now and make a list of dozens of things to be unhappy about. But, why would I want to do that? It would bring me down and encourage me to look at more negative things. I choose to rejoice! Why not?
I rejoice greatly that there are people like yourself who are growing and changing and really living life. We can’t wake people up who want to sleep through this beautiful life but we can be here loudly shouting for joy when they get ready to shake themselves awake.
Keep being alive and wonderful and I look forward to seeing you again.
Janice
By: 2transform on June 27, 2009
at 12:19 pm