Don't Put Off Your Joy | iHanuman

iHanuman

Love, Service, Devotion, Yoga

Don't Put Off Your Joy

The perspective of Tantric philosophy is to use everything in life as a means for awakening. Events in our lives can be catalysts to open us to our True Nature of consciousness and bliss. It is especially useful to view life's most powerful events through the Tantric lens.
I have just returned from a "gathering" to celebrate Geri Quinn's life. As some of you may know, Geri was a long time student at Garden of the Heart Yoga Center and a devoted participant in our book club. She suffered a brain aneurysm at the yoga center on May 9, and surrounded by her family, she died the following evening. All of us at GOH and her family and friends were stunned by her passing, and are mourning the loss of a bright light. We will always cherish her memory, and remember her enthusiastic spirit, dedication to her spiritual practices, and her zest for life.
Death is never an easy topic to discuss... even though we all know with total certainty that some day each of us will die. The pertinent question is not when are we going to die but how fully are we going to live until that time? When we are on our deathbed and look back, what will have mattered? What regrets will we have, given the current course of our life?
Geri's death has spurred me to look at how I am living my life and what changes I might make to live more fully. The first thing that comes to mind is to tell all the important people in my life that I love them. Let them know how I cherish them and how much they mean to me. I have re-committed to my marriage and freeing up time to do more things with my husband. We'll be taking more trips together ... although he still hasn't convinced me to drive all the way across the country through all the little back roads and towns!
Research shows that our general level of happiness is not dependent on the big things, like winning the lottery or living in a mansion, but on the little daily pleasures that we nourish ourselves with. For example I love going to the beach. I love the energy of the ocean! I especially enjoy taking our golden doodle Teddy to the Dog Beach. When we arrive, he runs ahead in his excitement, and has usually made a few new friends and is in the water by the time I walk down the path and out onto the beach. His antics and enthusiasm make it a total delight! I look forward to doing this more often!
Don't wait until tomorrow to create more joy! Discover what makes your heart sing and commit to doing it more often, whether it's gardening, writing, running, cooking, reading, spending time by the water, long walks in Nature, playing with your grandchildren, volunteering ... whatever it is ... don't wait until tomorrow. Love more today. Don't wait for someone to love you, share your love with them. Let your friends and family know how special they are to you.
In one year you will have one year less to live your joyful life! How will you use this year to create a life that is uniquely yours? How much more joy can you give and receive? How much delight can you create for yourself and your loved ones? Start now!

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