Afraid that the years are just passing you by? A Mother's Day note 💗
I am sitting on my patio in finally warm weather and am thinking about what Mother's Day actually means to me.
On my drive back from the gym this morning, I was blasting one of my favorite songs from my Joy Playlist (you can get it here on Spotify) and it hit me that my life feels so different –lighter, free-er, easier– today than it did last year.
Why?
Part of it is that my kids are a little older and that does make things easier.
And part of it is that I have evolved.
Last July, when I turned 39, I made an agreement with myself that I would make this last year in my 30s one that was filled with the utmost JOY.
I had noticed that I had started to become more tightly wound, more serious, stressed about things that really didn't matter, and hence less free, less light-hearted, less fun.
Through the stressors of having little kids, of moving several times, of going through the pandemic, of running my own business, I slowly slipped into a way of being that didn't feel soulful, young at heart, or creative.
I remembered that I deeply wanted to…
live a life rich in experiences, connections and ideas
have meaning and purpose that drives my soul
feel free, creative and joyful AND exude those feelings
and, I deeply want to be so damn present that I can actually soak up the beauty, fun and joy that my kids give me instead of being so tightly wound up that these years just pass me by.
THAT –years passing by with me not really enjoying them– is one of my greatest fears in motherhood... heck, in life!
Of course, there are still days that are stressful.
Of course, there are weeks when I desperately need a break.
Of course, there are moments when I want (& do) yell and have an adult melt-down. No shame there. I do my best, repair and move on.
But here is what changed with intention and specificity:
I now live my life with a sincere and genuine focus on joy and the deep understanding that my joy is the key to being the woman, the mother, the wife, the friend, the daughter, the business owner, the everything that I really want to be… for myself and my family.
Joy is often looked at as the reward of your work, but I have found that it is actually my most powerful tool that enables me to do everything in my life so much better.
I am sharing this with you, because I believe in the power of joy so deeply and I want you to experience it, too.
Besides my podcast Joy Class, I have a few resources for you to dive into and expand your own joy:
Discover your own joy (free download)
Easy Joy: a 28-day joy journey designed to help you pull joy in close ($99)
Follow me on instagram where I share small tips and thoughts on joy regularly.
Here is to your joy First name – in motherhood, in your relationships, in your work, in all of your life!
You deserve to be joyful.
Happy Mother's Day 💗
Love,
Caroline
PS: To circle back to the beginning of my email and what Mother's Day actually means to me, the answer I am coming to is that to me Mother's Day symbolizes both an enormous privilege and an enormous responsibility. I have never been more proud or more dedicated to anything in the world… but instead of letting the enormity of it crush me, I want to let this enormity carry me with the deep faith in my own abilities and in the blossoming power of my own joy.