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Beyond the Career: Sparks of Joy
Uncovering What Lights You Up
Cara Gray
November 20, 2024
Dear Friends,
This is not a newsletter about the holiday 🎅🏽 season, though yours truly is fully into her holiday home scents/living room full of candles/Hallmark Christmas movie phase! This week I want to talk to you about discovering and doing things that bring enormous amounts of joy into your lives. What are the things that light 💡 you up?!
Last weekend, I was fully embracing things that give me joy, starting with a day at the Art Institute in Chicago with a dear friend who I hadn’t seen in a long time. We explored the Paula Modersohn-Becker: I Am Me exhibition (highly recommended!) and spent hours catching up in the member’s lounge, sipping tea, and noshing on some snacks. It was the best use of my precious weekend time possible. Then on Sunday, I went with another dear friend to a performance of Hubbard Street Dance’s Fall Season. Within the two minutes tears were running down my face. These were tears of joy, tears of feeling alive, tears of witnessing beauty and art - contemporary dance is one of the greatest joys in my life. I need to seek more of it!
If you are curious, this is a video about the piece that brought me to tears. It seems I wasn’t alone. It was so, so powerful. ⬇️
Art and dance and Hallmark Christmas movies may not be the things that bring you joy, but what does? Maybe it’s sports - football, basketball or F1. Maybe it’s reading, fiction you can get lost in, or nonfiction that sparks new ideas. Maybe it’s the joy of family and precious hugs from your grandchildren. If you know what brings you joy, DO MORE OF THAT. If you are looking for some new ideas and exploration, keep reading 📖!
Here are two powerful exercises to help you discover joy:
The Joy Inventory
This exercise helps identify sources of joy in your life, both past and present.
1. Take out a piece of paper and divide it into three columns: Past Joys, Present Joys, and Future Joys.
2. In the “Past Joys” column, list moments or activities from your past that brought you genuine happiness. These could be childhood memories, career achievements, or personal milestones.
3. In the “Present Joys” column, write down things that currently bring you joy, no matter how small. This could include your morning coffee, a favorite hobby, or time spent with loved ones.
4. For “Future Joys,” imagine experiences or accomplishments that you believe would bring you joy in the future. Be creative and don’t limit yourself.
5. Review your list and look for patterns. Are there common themes? Do certain types of activities or relationships consistently appear?
6. Choose one item from your “Present Joys” and one from “Future Joys” to actively incorporate or work towards in your life this week.
The Five Senses of Joy
This exercise uses sensory awareness to connect with joy in the present moment.
1. Find a quiet, comfortable space where you won’t be disturbed for about 15 minutes.
2. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to center yourself.
3. Now, focus on each of your five senses one at a time:
• Sight: Open your eyes and look around. What do you see that brings you joy? It could be a favorite piece of art, a photo of loved ones, or the way sunlight filters through leaves.
• Sound: Listen carefully. What sounds bring you joy? Perhaps it’s birdsong, music, or the laughter of children playing outside.
• Touch: Notice the sensations on your skin. What textures bring you joy? Maybe it’s the softness of a pet’s fur, the warmth of sunlight, or the comfort of your favorite chair.
• Smell: Take a deep breath through your nose. What scents bring you joy? It could be fresh coffee, a scented candle, or the aroma of your favorite meal.
• Taste: If possible, have a small snack or drink on hand. What flavors bring you joy? Savor them fully.
4. After exploring each sense, write down what you discovered. Which sensory experiences brought you the most joy?
5. Consider how you can intentionally incorporate more of these joyful sensory experiences into your daily life.
✨ By practicing these exercises regularly, you can train yourself to notice and appreciate sources of joy in your everyday life, leading to a more positive and fulfilling third act and LIFE.
And for a completely different example of joy, check out the story of Robert Maddox. He's a guy obsessed with machines, specializing in creating vehicles with jet propulsion systems—from bicycles to skateboards and more. And he’s definitely experiencing a LOT of joy in his life!!
Speaking of the Arts, If you missed it there is a new episode of my Act Three podcast featuring, Elvi Moore who had an incredible career in the dance and performing arts world and still serves on several boards for arts organizations - she is an inspiration for how to live joyfully and intentionally in Act Three!!
Stay tuned for weekly content about travel, health, relationships, identity, spirituality, doing good and starting a new venture as it relates to retirement/the next chapter in your life ✨
Please subscribe and forward this newsletter to others who are thinking about planning their third act. Thanks for your support 🙏.
Warm regards,
Cara Gray
Third Act Consultant, CPRC, CEPA™️
P.S. If you want to start planning your third act, set up a time on my calendar for a chat: Schedule a Chat with Cara
P.S.S. If you are curious about my coaching, there are two options to work with me: deep-dive, transformative 1:1 consulting or a 90-minute intensive, quickstart session. Details about both options can be found here.