Aldous Huxley once said, “The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age which means never losing your enthusiasm.”
I would bet that many of us right now have lost some of our enthusiasm for life. Living in lockdown, not seeing friends and family, and filling our days with work, walks, books and chores without anything to look forward to is tough.
So how do we reignite joy and enthusiasm in our lives? Here are some thoughts, but I’m hoping everyone will leave a comment to help us all through this difficult time.
- Spend time with a child. Children help us see the world from a fresh perspective.
- Make a goal to try one new thing this week, whether it’s making a new dish, starting a new project, or learning a new hobby. When we learn new skills or focus on something fresh, our enthusiasm naturally emerges.
- Be curious and ask questions. The act of asking questions stimulates interest and enthusiasm. You can even ask questions of yourself like, “What do I want?”, “What am I grateful for”, or “What’s missing in my life?”
- Do something silly and that makes you laugh.
- Make a list of everything you love to do, and then take 15 minutes and do one of them a day.
- Plan a trip for when this is all over. It doesn’t have to be a big trip, maybe just an overnight getaway, but it will give you something to look forward to.
This week’s #HappyAct is to rediscover your zest for life. We can all be child geniuses. Now it’s your turn—what are your ideas?
Happy Act 
The pandemic had taken all of my joy for writing out of me which felt strange because you would think that with more time on our hands and nothing social to fill it, it would be the opposite. However, I have started writing my novel again and wrote 3500 words last night. I am scheduling in 2-3 evenings a week to do this. This is my project
That’s fantastic, Leslie and I have to admit, I’m a bit jealous, I need to get back on the writing bandwagon!
Staying at home all the time has allowed me to start daily violin practice again. I started slowly, a few minutes 2x/day and now I am up to almost an hour each day. It feels great to start getting my playing chops back in order and to explore repertoire that has always interested me. This has brought me joy and satisfaction and I am cautiously dreaming of a time when I will be able to play music with others again. 🎶🎻
I think music is so essential to our wellbeing, Jill, piano has been a haven for me, thanks for sharing…