JoyFear

‘Fear makes us feel our humanity.’ ~Benjamin Disraeli

Post written by Leo Babauta.

The moment my first daughter Chloe was born, I was filled with an overpowering joy — she was a living miracle! I was also filled with soul-trembling fear — here was a fragile new life, entrusted into my incompetent hands.

It was overwhelming, this mixture of two powerful emotions.

I call it Joyfear.

Copyright pending.

I discovered this word in an exercise on Sunday at the World Domination Summit during a talk by the amazing Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen of Mondo Beyondo (check out their site, it’s awesome). During the exercise I came up with the word and wrote it on my arm.

Joyfear.

It turns out that the birth of each of my kids was filled with Joyfear. And it turns out every single defining moment in my life has been filled with Joyfear, with a mixture of intense joy and intense fear into one ball of powerful emotions that both lift me up and make me see things clearly when I hadn’t before.

My first marathon was filled with Joyfear (actually every marathon had it). I felt Joyfear when I quit my day job and became self-employed. Joyfear was there when I fell in love with my wife and then when I married her, when I moved my entire family with absolutely nothing to San Francisco last year, when I published my first book, and in a smaller way every time I create something new and put it out into the world to be judged.

Having only joy is great. Having only fear sucks. But having both … that’s life-defining.

Do not shy away from Joyfear. Seek it out. Recognize it when you happen upon it. Joyfear will change your life, and you’ll never forget the moment you find it.

 

 

A Boy and his Moon

I found a great perch on top of a magnificent piles of rocks in Idaho.  Across the way my dear friends found a perch of their own and we exchanged greetings. Then I snapped this photo of Kevin as he had a moment.

This reminded me straight away of The Little Prince by Antonie De Saint-Exupery. And that is perhaps why I love this picture with all my heart.

“People where you live,” the little prince said, “grow five thousand roses in one garden… yet they don’t find what they’re looking for…”

“They don’t find it,” I answered.

“And yet what they’re looking for could be found in a single rose, or a little water…”

“Of course,” I answered.

And the little prince added, “But eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart.” “One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.”

 

That morning I re learned that everything we have been given here on earth is to help us appreciate love and beauty. No matter what form it may take.

Just like Michelangelo said, “My soul can find no staircase to heaven unless it be through earth’s loveliness”

This morning I am trying really hard to stay positive about the uncertain road ahead and the little prince has helped me once again..

“That’s the way they are. You must not hold it against them. Children should be very understanding of grown-ups.”

Finger’s Progress

thought i’d update the most recent pics of Finger for those that are interested in it’s progress, it is continuing to grow more colorful each day…such a weird phenomenon

Only A Dollar

a month ago my brother brought home a beta fish.

Though originally priced at 17 dollars, the pet store gave this particular fish to him for a mere $1. the pet store had explained to him that it had bladder problems (i still can’t figure out how they knew that), and it wasn’t worth more than a dollar.

“It was Only a Dollar!” my brother would say. My mother would reply, “but why would you waste a dollar on that?”  For it was drained of all color like an albino, it was bloated, and it was obviously dying. Several times a day we exclaimed, “Shawn! i think your fish died!”  because it would be floating on one side and not moving.  But then the fish would come back to life and try to right itself with it’s only working fin.. Shawn named it Finger, because it was a colorless boring piece of meat. Shawn’s friends called it “shawn’s retarded fish”.

Nevertheless, he cared for it by cleaning out it’s bowl meticulously, he talked to it, crushed up our old fish pellets so it would be easier for Finger to eat, and then he even put a bamboo plant into the fishbowl.

Thanks to my brother’s OCD weirdness, I am happy to say Finger is leading quite a colorful and enjoyable life nowadays.  Finger is no longer a colorless boring piece of meat.  For reasons beyond me, Finger is getting more and more colorful each day. It has dark streaks of royal purple and pink now!

Shawn even claims that Finger gets excited to see him.  Finger has full usage of it’s fins and no longer floats on it’s side.

Though Shawn did not pay  $17 for Finger, he treated it like a $17 dollar fish and it is beginning to look and act like a $17 fish. I’d even venture to say it’s quite spoiled..so there you have it a real life Johnny Lingo Story 🙂

I never have real reasons for my posts these days. Oh Well. (via Amy Jo Photography)

There has been so much going on these last few weeks and the next few will be no exception. Normal classes at Walden ended last week, we have been preparing for our student trip to San Francisco with Yard Sales and planning, prom last weekend and graduation this week. I wouldn't be lying if I said I cried when some students signed their finals. I am going to miss this job. It was been one of the best experiences of my life. Its true: Walden is fa … Read More

via Amy Jo Photography

Dear Tree

quietly you died

im sorry your life ended

it filled us with joy