In Justin Timberlake’s hit Sexy Back, he sings about, well, bringing sexy back. I’m not really sure where he thinks it went considering what you see in the tabloids, on TV, at the movies, or even in the mall, but oddly enough I was thinking about this song while trying to come up with my New Year’s resolutions. Don’t panic. I’ll leave it to Justin Timberlake to bring sexy back. My goal for 2008 is to bring “joy” back.
Remember joy? It’s a feeling people get when they’re immensely happy. I’m sure you just witnessed it this Christmas on your children’s faces as they ripped through their gifts. It’s the same look they probably had as they were wobbling down the street on their bike for the first time without training wheels. It starts with a sparkle in the eye, then a grin that goes from ear to ear, and it’s usually followed with a full-blown exuberant scream of, well, JOY! So think about it.
When’s the last time you had that feeling? That look? I know I didn’t see it on too many people’s faces prior to the holidays. Mostly what I saw were a lot of people running around with their heads down, grumbling, spending way too much money on “stuff.” I must admit I was one of those people. I was stressed to the max. And, it’s not just at Christmas time. Look around. People are haggard. And why wouldn’t they be. There’s a war going on, the economy is bottoming out, people are working harder and longer just to hang onto their jobs, and quality family time is virtually something of the past. Hence the reason I came up with the New Year’s resolution to “bring back the joy!”
Since it seems that children do so much better at the “joy” thing, I thought I would go back in time and try to remember what things gave me joy when I was a child. This is what I came up with:
- Going to a movie with friends and eating all of the popcorn, candy, and soda my stomach could hold and not worrying about the calories!
- Jumping through a sprinkler on a hot summer day wearing a bikini!!!
- Standing outside during a snowstorm and catching snowflakes on my tongue.
- Laying on the grass and deciding what animals the clouds made.
- Eating a humongous ice cream cone until half of it was on my face and the other half was on my shirt.
- Talking to my friends for hours on the phone about nothing and enjoying every minute of it.
- Cranking REO Speedwagon in my bedroom and singing with reckless abandon for my audience of stuffed animals.
Well, I think you get the point. I’m not sure how many of those I would actually consider doing now as a 40+ year old woman, but there are definitely a couple. But, the point is, I think we, as adults, need to bring the same joy we so often witness in our children back to our own lives. Granted, we can’t just leave our jobs and run off to Europe, but there are definitely things we can do to lift our spirits. Here’s my adult list:
- Ordering Boston Creme pie for dessert and not caring if the top button of my pants flies across the room.
- Going outside and wildly chasing my boys around the yard until we all collapse in laughter.
- Planning a monthly “date” with my husband and not worrying about how much the babysitter is going to cost.
- Taking a family hike to the top of a mountain and screaming…”Life is Good.”
- Sitting on the couch on a Sunday afternoon with a good book and not worrying about the dirty laundry that is stacked higher than my eight-year old.
See, they’re not huge things. In fact some of them are pretty darn simple. It’s just making a decision to do them. So, that’s the challenge my friends. Take it on if you dare. And if you suddenly feel an unusual pulling sensation in your cheeks, don’t worry, it’s just you, bursting into a full-blown ear-to-ear grin “bringing back the joy.”
