Finding Joy in Everyday Interactions

At the age of 42, I've come to understand the significance of self-acceptance and finding joy in the simple moments of daily life. Through my personal journey, I've realized the importance of being present in little moments and actively choosing to engage with life. Connecting with others on a recent walk on our nature trail has shown me the power of community and the happiness that comes from everyday interactions. Hoping you find the joy of connecting in everyday interactions as you listen to this week's episode.

(00:02:32) "Embracing Age: Finding Joy in Everyday Life"
(00:06:59) Trailside Connections: Fostering Community Engagement
(00:08:27) Embracing Joyful Connections for Personal Growth

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Transcript

00:00:00
I'm Lacey Jones with elevate the individual. And this episode is brought to you by raising confident mothers. As we strengthen the individual woman within the mother, we strengthen families and communities for the better. Thank you for being here and for being part of our community. Well, it has been a while, hasn't it? Life kind of happened the past five months, and I decided to step away from podcasting for just a bit as I focused on client work. And today is my birthday. So I thought it would be a fun day to kick off season two of this podcast journey and see where it takes us.

00:00:44
And I cleared my schedule of all client work so that I could focus on the other fun aspects of this business that have been kind of put off to the side, like this podcast and taxes. Because nothing says happy birthday like working on your taxes. And as I dive back into creating episodes, I'm not sure really how frequently they'll be. But I hope as we move forward, some of the systems I've put into play will help with the creation and publication of more episodes on a more consistent basis. And I'm so grateful for those who've joined me in this production, and I'm looking forward to the future. So season two is going to be fun. And as we revamp this podcast, we're also going to continue to share the raising confident Mothers magazine.

00:01:31
And you'll notice this fun shift within the magazine as we shift to a monthly workbook format that will allow you to take the concepts that you learn in the magazine and on the podcast and apply them to your life. So I'll pop a link in the show notes so you can snag the latest copy of the magazine. And then those past couple of issues, they've really focused on helping you navigate a couple of tricky topics. We've got one magazine focused on toxic work environments and deciding whether or not you should stay or go, and then owning your decision.

00:02:08
And also ways to develop a deeper connection with your faith. So lots of info and again, lots of worksheets as you do the work to create the life you want. So with that, shall we dig into today's topic? As I mentioned, today is my birthday. And for the past year, whenever anyone has asked my age, I just automatically told them I was 42.

00:02:32
But in reality, I was actually 41. And I honestly don't think there was a time when I confidently stated that I was 41. I just honestly believed I was 42. And what typically happens when anyone asks me how old I am, I kind of pause and I'll hesitate and kind of look to my husband, and he waits for me to respond. And then when I kind of get the answer, he confirms, yes, you're 41. And I want to say 42, but I don't know why this happens. For some reason, my age just does not stick in my memory. It's weird, but it's just me. So I have decided that now that I really am 42, I'm going to own it and I'm going to connect with it. I want to be 42, and I want to meet the demands that come with being a 42 year old woman who is also a wife, a mother, a business owner, a coach, and a thought leader. I want to lean into the daily tasks and demands that come with all of it. And I know I will not handle it all beautifully because guess what? I'm human.

00:03:41
But I really want to just buckle up and enjoy the ride. So many, many years ago, when I was a freshman in college, our English professor asked us to write an essay about the perfect day. And I so wish I had a copy of that essay. I have tried to find it, but it's probably stuck on, like, a floppy disk somewhere or the hard drive of that computer that I rented from the school because it was the year 2000, and having your own personal laptop was this luxury.

00:04:15
So I rented a computer. But I remember this essay, and I remember that my idea of the perfect day started out by waking up to the alarm clock and not pressing snooze. My idea of perfect was waking up on time and not being annoyed by the sound of that alarm clock. It was getting ready on time and heading to class. It was knowing the answers to the test. And over the years, I've often thought about how my idea of the perfect day didn't even include sleeping in or being able to skip a test.

00:04:51
My idea of perfect wasn't big or grand or posh. It was the idea of being completely content with life, and it was all about finding joy in the daily tasks of normal, everyday life. So this morning when I woke up and I looked in the mirror at my now 42 year old face, I noticed the hormonal acne. And instead of being frustrated by it, I realized it only meant that something was changing with my hormones. And I continued to look at my 42 year old body and realized, this is what 42 years of life looks like. This is what birthing five babies looks like. This is what dedicating my time and energy to life and work and family looks like. And I am completely okay with it. My body tells the story of my life and as I officially walk into 42, I want to connect with being 42.

00:05:47
The joy and blessings of it all. They're there if I choose to connect with them. Some of you have heard me share an experience I recently had about connecting with others as my son and I walked on a nature trail near our home. I want to share it here on the podcast so that it's recorded and something that I can reflect on this next year. So I really hope that you find inspiration in it as well. My youngest son and I recently found ourselves without anywhere to go on a Saturday morning while everyone else was off doing their typical Saturday things.

00:06:21
And I didn't just want to watch him watching TV. And I knew I needed to get out and enjoy the fresh air. So I told him we were going to go walk the trail, and he was so excited. He asked me for my iPad so he could look up the neighborhood like a bird's eyed view. Then he taped several pieces of paper together so that he could draw a very realistic map of our walk. And I played along and we followed that map through our neighborhood, across the busy road and to the trail entrance. And as we walked, he talked the whole way, and I was lost in thought and just let him bounce around me as we walked.

00:06:59
Well, as we passed others on the trail, I felt this very natural instinct to say hello to those that we passed. And I often pushed myself to make eye contact and say hello rather than just looking down or away as I walked by. And I am probably the world's most extroverted introvert. I enjoy connecting with others, but there are just times when it is so much easier to turn inwards and carry on a conversation with myself rather than engaging with others.

00:07:30
But on the trail that day, I noticed that as I made the effort to make eye contact with the other trail walkers and smile and say hello, I was always met with the same eye contact and a smile and maybe even like a little wave. I also noticed that I felt this little lift each time. And so I began to see several groups and pairs of older women walking and talking and supporting one another. And as I made eye contact with them and smiled, I felt this sense of community with them, a sense of support as they quickly looked to my son, then back to me with this little nod of encouragement, knowing that they most likely had already walked that phase of motherhood. And with their smile, they were encouraging me in my motherhood journey. It was beautiful, and it happened so quickly.

00:08:27
And as I kept up with this little experiment, I noticed that every single time I chose to look up to connect with those around me. They were ready and willing to connect with me. The connection was always there, but I had to decide if I was going to engage or not. And there were a couple of times where I chose to look away or focus my attention on my son as others walked by.

00:08:51
And I missed that connection with them. And each time it was my choice, but the connection was always there if I wanted it. So what does that have to do with turning 42? Well, this year, as I connect with actually being 42, first of all, I want to look up. I want to see the experiences of life and meet them where they are. I want to feel that connection and community from those who are also walking their journey. And when life gets to be too much and when I need to turn inward and recharge, I will know how to do that. And I will be okay with not engaging. I will see the options I have and I will make my choices accordingly.

00:09:37
Now, with all of this, I want to know, what does the trail of your journey look like this year? Is it more difficult than you expected? Are there others on your path who have walked a similar road, who are waiting to connect with you? If you will just look up? Will you be the one waiting for another traveler to look up, ready to lift and encourage as needed? Will you take time to rest and recharge? Will you push yourself outside of your comfort zone? How will you connect with the everyday life you are living? And will you see how joyful it can be? Here's to you. And here's to 42.