I know…this title sounds like a recipe for disaster. It’s not what you think. It’s actually a recipe for joy. I kid you not! I went outside to take a break from working today. It was a glorious, sunny warm day. The humidity has subsided a bit and that makes for fabulous summer days her in Rhode Island. I didn’t plan to mow. I planned to play with Gracie, but she fizzled out. We’ve had lots of rain in the last week and the grass was a bit overgrown. As I surveyed the yard I was hit with the urge to mow.

You might be thinking it’s crazy to mow in bare feet, but I have the old fashioned kind of mower. No gas. No engine. Just the tick, tick, tick of the blades cutting the grass. She’s bright red and I love it. You might think this is the hard way to mow grass. Maybe. But it works for me. I like the quietness, the feel and sound of the blades cutting a swath through the tall grass.  And, I love being in bare feet in the grass. I have a very small yard to mow and this, for me, is the only way to go.

OK, Elaine…so what’s the point?

The point is this. What feels like joy for you? So much of our time is spent in resistance to joy. We don’t love the work we do, but we stay because it’s a paycheck. We fail to set boundaries, say yes when we mean no,  and often wear ourselves out for others. Ever hold onto a relationship or friendship that no longer fit who you are now? Or you’ve come to believe it matters what other people think. Why? We’ve been programmed to live inside a box of beliefs that we think are the truth. And we keep living that truth even when it doesn’t fulfill us or bring us joy.

For me, mowing the grass with a gas powered mower would feel like work.

The smell, the noise, not to mention having the strength to pull the cord and start it up all the time. I considered electric but…you know, the cord. As it is I have trouble keeping the cord out of the trimmer. So I elected to use a mower that I can use no matter what I’m wearing (which was a skirt and top today) and I can have me feet touching the good earth in the process. This feels like joy! It’s a win-win for me.

This isn’t about getting you to use a manual mower – if you mow at all. It is an invitation to consider what brings you joy and what doesn’t. What are you doing in life because you believe you should or have to? Allow yourself to get curious – to ask what the belief around doing it and where did it come from. Be honest with yourself. You might be surprised to find it no longer serves you and it’s time to let it go. There’s real joy in that…and taking your shoes off in the grass!

From my heart to yours,

Ready for life outside the box? Join me in Tuscany this fall to Nurture Your Inner Goddess!