I want more joy in 2024, and I’m coming to realize that joy will have little if anything to do with my circumstances. Recognizing the difference between reality and the stories I tell myself about it is key to having more joy.
This Bur Oak tree will keep on producing oxygen, taking in our carbon dioxide, and providing acorns and shelter to local squirrels and wildlife. It is a life giver, not a life taker.
The impermanence of clouds can give us perspective about the world and its troubles. I can’t stay focused on the hate, corruption, and cruelty without being consumed by it, wrung out and hopeless.
On our own, some jobs seem overwhelming, some problems seem more than we could handle. But everyone can do something, no matter how small.
There are plenty of things going awry in today’s world, and we should say something. But we can’t only focus on the negative. That’s not how a life is lived or at least lived well.
