Bright Idea: Let Joy Be Your Journey

Bright Ideas: Tips for Positive Thinking and Personal Growth
Bright Idea: Let Joy Be Your Journey

Speaking of journey’s… we’ve been on quite the unpredictable one in the last year, haven’t we?  Many moments felt as though joy, happiness even, was a thing of the past.  We worried, we feared, we paused.  We made decisions based on intuition, we persevered based on necessity.  I can remember the apprehension with which we began this school year.  Are we making the right decision for our teachers?  What about our children?  Will everyone be safe? 

And yet, faced with the unknown, we entered the school year head on, with masks and hand sanitizer as non-negotiables for many.  We entered a new reality, and it took us a few weeks (or months) to gain our footing.  Some of us are still not sure how we got here, but many are thankful that we did.

I learned an incredibly important lesson recently and I have one of our own incredibly valued Inclusion Specialists to thank for that.  Again, Danielle James, with her unique perspective, reminded me how to find beauty in tragedy.  Danielle spoke quite eloquently on the importance of finding and experiencing joy each day.  I wrote down a sentence in reference to our students who learn differently that will quite literally stay with me forever – “No matter how great the challenge, no matter how daunting the behavior, it’s not so daunting when you flip the focus.  Say to yourself, ‘how can I make this moment joyful’?”

And with this lesson, I reflected on the year and imagined the future.  I remembered my visits to each classroom, each student, each teacher.  These visits were not marked with angst, worry or fear.  These visits were consumed by laughter, learning and triumph.  Our children remind us how precious joy is through their silly giggles, goofy jokes and endless endearing stories.  Joy is not about giving in or getting what you want.  Joy is about experiencing the moment to the fullest possible extent.  Joy is about appreciating what is in front of you.  Joy is peaceful.  Joy is all around us.

I’d be lying if I said I did not have tears in my eyes as I reflect on our journey this year.  We worked so hard to ensure that our children, all of our children, experienced joy each day. And in turn, found joy within ourselves.  Let joy be your journey.