A joyful spring
Spring is in the air. The days are getting longer, the spring bulbs are bursting with colour and I’m so glad that the clocks will be springing forward to British Summer Time in just over a week.
As the season changes I find it a really good time to check in and see how I’m doing with my intention for the year and I encourage you to do the same. As I shared in January I chose joy as my intention for 2022. After lockdowns followed by a cancer diagnosis what I want more than anything else this year is to feel and experience joy. I chose not to put that intention on hold until after my treatment finished, instead I wanted to start looking for and experiencing joy as much as I possibly could.
So how have I been getting on? Well the list of things that I wanted to be sure to experience during the winter months helped me on my way. It was a modest list as I knew the limitations that treatment would place on me but that list has brought me a lot of joy. It took a lot of effort to decorate for Christmas but it was worth it. Those decorations and lights brought a lot of joy. It took a lot of effort to take them down but that too was worth it for the joy they had brought us.
My energy levels have meant there haven’t been many walks but when I have managed to get outside I’ve appreciated every little thing like the day I was dragging myself around the block to try to help the chemo induced aches and was rewarded with a beautiful double rainbow.
Having joy as my focus helped me to make the decision to give myself a much needed break and not publish a podcast episode last week. The scripts were written ready to record four episodes and the night before I realised I just didn’t have the energy. It felt really weird to decide not to do it. Right through my treatment so far I’ve managed to make sure that the podcast and blog and weekly emails have carried on and to choose to take a step back, even if it was just for one week felt huge. But having that focus, that intention of choosing joy helped me. As I lay in bed wrestling with the decision a little voice asked, “Is this going to bring you joy? Is making yourself record those podcasts tomorrow going to bring you joy?” And the answer was a resounding no. I felt exhausted just thinking of the effort it would take when I had almost no energy. And so I made the decision and went to sleep. I’d like to say I slept like a baby but thanks to storm Franklin I barely slept at all!
And so I want to consciously choose joy this spring. I’m still facing radiotherapy which I’m told will also drain my energy but that doesn’t mean I can’t seek out joy in the small things in life. I’ve already taken great joy in having daffodils in the house and seeing the bulbs I planted in the autumn begin to flower.
I’m looking forward to:
having the energy to get out for daily walks again and venturing back into the woods
having the energy to cook again and cooking for other people
going out for a coffee with friends
going out to eat
buying plants for my newly revamped garden and planting them
seeing friends and family in person after months of video calls
celebrating Easter
There are things that in the past I’ve taken so much for granted but they are going to bring me so much joy when I’m able to do them again. There are lots of other things I’m excited to do again but they will have to wait for summer when my treatment is behind me. I’m determined to focus on what I can do, not what I can’t and focus on the joy normal life is going to bring me!
What about you? How are you doing with your intention for the year or is now the time to decide what your intention for this coming season is going to be? What do you want to ensure you enjoy this spring?
