The One Question That Might Change Everything
What’s bringing you joy right now?
Imagine standing in the mirror each morning, staring at your reflection as you prepare for the day’s grind. You’ve got your outfit picked out, breakfast made, and you’re ready to take on whatever comes your way.
But then it hits you: What if there was one question that could change the trajectory of your day? A single inquiry that could lead to a different outcome than what you had planned?
“What’s bringing me joy right now?”
This query may sound trite or even whimsical in our productivity-obsessed culture, but it could be the catalyst that leads to profound changes in your life.
In fact, the question is about more than just finding joy; it’s a way of bringing mindfulness to your everyday decisions. By taking a moment to ask yourself this query, you are actively engaging with the present moment and reflecting on what will bring true fulfillment.
The Catalytic Question
If you can’t immediately answer what’s bringing you joy, it may be a sign that your life lacks the vibrancy, passion, and fulfillment that you deserve.
This isn’t an indictment of your character, work, or choices — but rather a crucial signal that something needs to shift.
In the world of entrepreneurship and freelancing, we’re often trained to measure our worth in terms of outputs:
- How much can we achieve?
- How many clients can we amass?
- How much revenue can we generate?
While these metrics matter in their own right, they should never overshadow the most important metric of all — your happiness.
The Power of Joy
Joy, unlike fleeting happiness, is a deep-seated, robust sense of fulfillment and contentment.
It’s a radiant, life-giving force that energizes, inspires, and propels you forward. In fact, research increasingly shows that when we engage in activities that bring us joy, we’re not just happier — we’re also more productive, more creative, and more resilient in the face of adversity.
So if you find yourself unable to articulate what’s bringing you joy, it’s time to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. It’s time to redirect your journey towards rediscovering joy and making it a cornerstone of your life.
Recapturing Your Joy
So how do you recapture the joy that seems to have slipped through your fingers? Here’s a simple yet effective process to help you identify, understand, and reignite your joy.
Introspection
Take some quiet time each day to reflect on your life. Try to identify any activities, people, or experiences that used to bring you joy. What has changed? Why aren’t these things sparking joy anymore?
Prioritization
Once you identify what used to bring you joy, make a conscious decision to prioritize these elements in your life. This might mean reprioritizing your workload, learning to say no, or cutting out activities that drain you.
Mindfulness
Cultivate mindfulness and presence in your daily life. Often, we overlook the sources of joy because we’re so consumed with the busyness of life. By being fully present, you might discover joy in unexpected places.
Experimentation
Don’t be afraid to try new things. Sometimes, our interests and sources of joy evolve over time. Trying out new activities could open up fresh avenues for joy.
Gratitude
Practice gratitude daily. Recognizing and appreciating the good things in your life can cultivate a deep-seated sense of joy that’s impervious to external circumstances.
You Deserve Joy
As entrepreneurs and freelancers, our journey is often fraught with stress, uncertainty, and burnout.
However, by asking the simple question, “What’s bringing me joy right now?” and daring to confront the possibility of a silent or unsatisfactory response, we open the door to transforming not just our work but our entire lives.
Rediscovering and prioritizing joy can provide the motivation, creativity, and resilience we need to thrive in our personal and professional lives.
After all, at the end of the day, our work is not just about what we create in the world — it’s about what we create within ourselves.
