How To Find Joy in Life Again
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I've started a new project. I'm calling it "rediscovering my joy, after three years of too much soul-sucking stress" I just made that up on the spot—as you can probably tell.
As part of this new joy project, I've made it a goal to go to one new place every week—and this magical fairytale waterfall is just one of those new places.
I started this adventure eight weeks ago now, and it's been so much fun.
I was thinking back to my first few years in my little Colorado cabin, when I was at one of my happiest points in life. Things weren't perfect. Life was still stressful, but overall, I was happier more often than I was unhappy.
And the biggest difference between my life at that time, and the life I was living here in North Carolina, was that I experienced so much more adventure in Colorado than I had here.
And that's not North Carolina's fault, that's my own fault.
In Colorado I was living in a little cabin in the middle of a forest, surrounded by wild animals.
I learned how to use, and then have now been the proud owner of two different chainsaws and I also learned how to hand split firewood—which was how I mainly heated my home throughout the winter. I also went on some magical hiking adventures, in the mountains near my home.
All of these new and novel experiences brought me so much joy.
I had this idea of how things were going to go when I moved to North Carolina. In my mind, I was supposed to be living a life out here, very similar to the life I lived in Colorado, but it just hasn’t happened yet. For a while I was so focused on trying to force that dream to become a reality, that I wasn’t actually living.
And that realization was a real kick in the pants.
I know that I’ll eventually get the homestead that I crave. I know I’ll be using my chainsaw and axe again to prepare firewood for winter. I know I’ll be surrounded by animals once again. But I am where I am right now, and I realized eight weeks ago, that I need to make the best of it. Life is too darn short.
I've learned the hard way, over and over and over again, throughout my 40 years on this earth, that happiness rarely just comes to us. It's something that we have to actively strive for.
So no more sitting around in the house, being bummed that I’m not yet living the adventurous mountain homesteading life I planned to be living out here, when I have so much other opportunity for adventure available to me.
Now I want to turn this around and ask you: If you feel like you’ve lost your joy in life, what novel things can you incorporate into your week, to help bring that newness and excitement back into life?
Even if you’ve lived in the same city your whole life, I know there are places you haven’t yet discovered and things you haven’t yet done.
It’s so easy as adults to get caught up in the stress of things and stuck in a routine, but it’s also possible for us to break these patterns.
Now the time to find joy in your life again.
Thanks for reading along! I look forward to connecting with you next time!
-----Camera and Gear Used To Shoot This Video -----
Camera (Canon EOSR): https://amzn.to/44dteQJ
Camera (Canon M50): https://amzn.to/44uEGbb
Gimbal (Zhiyun Crane M2 used for Canon M50): https://amzn.to/44co47G
Telephoto Lens (Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II): https://amzn.to/43evx4T
Wide Angle Lens (Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM Lens): https://amzn.to/3rmZLFs
Drone (DJI Mavic Air 2): https://amzn.to/44fPNoa
Hi, I’m Kristen!
I envision a world where you and I rediscover what it is to be human, through connection with ourselves, each other and the natural world around us.