Tripping Over Joy

Ever since realigning my priorities away from being productive for productive's sake and moving toward enjoying my life, amazing (but predictable) things have been happening all over my life. The predictable part is namely me enjoying myself, my life, and others, exceedingly.

How is it that I made a paradigm shift from feeling batted about by life to enjoying it? It is certainly not that I finally got all my ducks in a row. My ducks are as unruly as most, if not more.

I finally got what it means to appreciate what is here, right now; how to appreciate what IS so, not what I WISH to be so. Starting from there allows me to open up, lighten up, and be flooded with gratitude. Where I put my attention, grows. Put my attention on the curve balls I am being thrown and how much that sucks, and lo! and behold, my life sucks. But put my attention on what is already good, rich and delicious, and my life becomes simply amazing...

Here is a fun quote by the 13th Century mystic Sufi poet, Hafiz, who has some good things to say on the subject of joy.

~ Tripping over Joy ~

What is the difference
Between your experience of Existence
And that of a saint?
The saint knows
That the spiritual path
Is a sublime chess game with God

And that the Beloved
Has just made such a Fantastic Move

that the saint is now continually
Tripping over Joy
And bursting out in Laughter
And saying, "I Surrender!"

Whereas, my dear,
I'm afraid you still think

You have a thousand serious moves.