Is your internet connection stealing your joy?
The first few weeks on the farm were amazing. Everything was fresh and new. There were things to discover, puzzles to solve, processes to create.
I was busy from sun up to sun down.
It was tiring but good.
And then we got internet service…
Outside time lessened.
Creative time turned to reinventing the website and fretting over how to market my online business instead of drawing and painting.
Dinner time was spent apart as family members chose to focus on the TV instead of talking.
The very thing that let me live on a farm and work remotely was also stealing the joy of living on the farm.
That transition felt sad… and lonely.
I realized that if I want joy in my life, I have to rule over the internet connection and not let it rule over me.
Watching others perform creates a dopamine hit, but it’s just a poor imitation of what actually brings joy.
I don’t want passive entertainment, I want activities and experiences that require my full engagement and participation.
You can feel when something is wholistically joyful. Those experiences engage your mind, your body, and your spirit. While passive entertainment gives a momentary boost, joy settles into your very being.
Have you ever been to a “paint and sip” or even a basic art class? I find them fun-ish. Some are more fun than others. They can be difficult because there’s usually an object or a sample painting that you are trying to replicate and sometimes the sample is less than inspiring. So while the experience accesses mind and body, it often misses the mark of spiritual engagement unless you really love the image or you feel free and confident enough to put your own spin on the project.
What if by engaging your soul in an activity, you could transform an experience from momentary fun to a memory that lives on as joy?
Here are a few ways to engage your soul into daily life:
Take time to connect spiritually - unburden yourself, remind yourself of what is true in the big scheme. For me this is journaling and Bible reading and prayer.
Consider your life mission. You are uniquely made - what is it you were put on this earth to do? For most of us, it’s to help others and/or make the world better in some way that makes sense to us. I personally have no interest in going to third world countries to dig wells, but for some people creating healthy living conditions fits their mission. For other people, it’s writing notes of encouragement and mailing them (because who doesn’t love to get a real piece of mail among all the junk?).
Give your soul an outlet for expression. We are all creative.
-Some create elaborate games for their pets.
-Some create treasure hunts for kids.
-Some give old things new life.
-Some make art.
-Some write poems or songs.
-Some build communities - connecting people through introductions, games nights, joke telling, etc.
What is the activity that engages you so thoroughly that you can lose track of time?
What is the thing you would do if there were no other obligations, if there was no critique from others, and if you had all the supplies you needed?
What is the lie you’ve believed that prevents you from engaging in life?
What would happen if you let yourself think outside the box? (Uh- oh - that sounds creative!)
Get out there, do something creative, and take back your joy.
P.S. Despite what US culture tells us, not everything needs to be monetized. It’s good for your soul to do something just for the joy of it.
