I skipped my workout and left early for school this morning, determined to get a significant amount of work done before class. It felt really nice to leisurely drive through the neighborhood, to ease up on my foot, to lift the pressure off of my day. I stopped for coffee where I used to work. The regulars still remembered me, and greeted me with raised paper cups when I walked in. I was feeling shy, so I didn't stop to chat.
I had plenty of time to walk to class, so I was able to get free parking. The cool air cleared my mind, but the sun relaxed me with warm massaging rays on my shoulders. On the corner of the campus drive, I ran into Noemia. She was out for a power walk, and was looking both confident and incredibly content. She looked so happy that she was almost glowing.
"Hello Emily, how are you?" she asked. Noemia is from Brazil.
I am not sure if it is a Brazilian custom, or just her own unique expression of assertiveness, but Noemia will use a persons name several times during a conversation. It is because of this that I always leave a conversation with her feeling like she really knows me well, and cares about my sense of well being. Usually I leave planning to use this communication skill on other people that I meet, but I never actually have remembered to do it.
"I'm good... Noemia, are you..power walking??" I asked.
When I think of power walking, I think of groups of ladies talking excitedly, wearing pinks and powder blues, and swinging their arms around wildly in an extreme frenzy for the extra calorie burn. Noemia looked like a University power walking athlete, not that we really have such a thing.
"Yes Emily, I have class this morning and I find it helps me focus to walk for just 20 min first, and you know something Emily I tried running but I don't think my body likes it. I thought about running a marathon Emily, but you know, I think I realized that it would have killed my joy. I like walking and.."
"I'm sorry, did you just say killed your joy?"
"Yes Emily, there is this really great book that I am reading about the neuroscience of joy and these researchers who are claiming that all this stuff that the public health movement is trying to accomplish with preaching about diet and exercise is just treating a symptom of a more serious disease, and you know something Emily, that disease is simply lack of joy. If we foster the true joy in our lives, the symptoms go away."
At that moment, those words struck me as the most profound thing I have ever heard. Yes, of course, life is about joy. What else is there, really? Is not joy exactly what we are all seeking? When we overeat, isn't it really a sense of joy we are grasping for? When we struggle for material success, are we not really attempting to secure the time to cultivate joy? The hours that we spend at the gym imagining that we are making ourselves more attractive to people who will shower us with feelings of joy, wouldn't they be better spent seeking joy directly?
I stood there frozen by the revelation.
"Well, I'll see you later Emily, I am going to go finish my walk." Noemia said, and she waved over her shoulder as she left. I continued into my office, and began to create in my mind the premonition of the rest of my day filled with joy.
Lemon caper chicken penne with mushrooms and broccoli (I have always loved this flavor combination) (Serves 4)
Boil 6 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt and cook 2 cups of dried penne. Rinse with cold water when it is cooked to desired texture.
In a separate pan, heat
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
add 1 cup chopped mushrooms (white, crimini, or portabello)
3 cloves minced garlic
another 1/4 tsp salt
2 cups broccoli, broken by hand
2 Tbsp butter
cook until the broccoli is bright green. Add
about 1 1/2 cups chopped white meat chicken, cooked (I used one of the breasts from yesterdays roasted chicken)
2 Tbsp capers, rinsed to remove some of the salty brine
2 more Tbsp butter
add the pasta
and
1 tsp sherry vinegar
the juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
salt and lots of pepper (to taste)
Christina's vote: "This dinner reiterates the question, which came first the chicken or the egg?"
Dear Emily,
ReplyDeleteMy heart is truly full of joy and gratitude as I sit here and read your blog. Thank you for the kind words!
It is the most clear truth that I have ever known, what all humans are after is a sense of joy and connection to ourselves and others. Think about it: "We don't want to eat hot fudge Sundays as much as we want our lives to be hot fudge Sunday" from one of my favor authors Geneen Roth.
So my dear Emily, I try to make a daily goal to collect "joy points" during a simple day by paying a bit closer attention to the most simple things: the wind, the birds, a friend who walks ..... with the hope that by paying attention I will not miss the moment (the presence wher all things happen) and therefore be able to feel my own connection to all things....
A lot of joy in your way,
From your dear friend Noemia
Emily and Noemia!!
ReplyDeleteThank you both for sharing these things! I am so lucky to know both of you and to be able to learn from your wisdom.
The idea of finding your joy is such a simple notion but just carries so much weight, and thanks for sharing this conversation you had with Noemia, Emily.
And Noemia, I am going to jump on the bandwagon and look for my joy points!
You both are wonderful!
-Andy