Boy is it easy to be cynical and unimpressed these days. In fact, that’s the problem. It is much easier to be critical, jaded, and generally unhappy than it is to be pleased with simple things and in awe of what’s around us. A simple experience reminded me of this, and of how easy it is to experience joy.
So this is going to start out a little weird, but I was in the Men’s restroom at a fancy hotel. Admittedly, it’s a nice hotel and the bathrooms were pretty ornate. But, I go to a lot of conferences and events at nice hotels, and after a while, they all blend together. As I was walking into the Men’s room, a somewhat embarrassed man smiled at me as he took out his camera and took a picture of the bathroom. That’s right, a picture of the bathroom.
At first, I scoffed to myself, “what, has this guy never seen a bathroom before?” But that is such a ridiculous thing to think. This guy was impressed. He saw something that he thought was beautiful, and he wanted to remember it by taking a picture of it. He experienced a moment of joy in marveling at this impressive bathroom. And he would experience several more moments of joy in the future when he got to show friends and family this picture that he took, and when he got to explain why he thought it was worth taking.
This guy got something priceless for free. He experienced joy in just looking around this bathroom. It reminded me that I should pay attention to the many things around me every day that I take for granted, and to try to look at them with fresh eyes. I work with amazing companies that make incredible products. I use computers that make trillions of calculations every day to make my life easier. I fly to lots of great cities all over the planet, and I meet some of the most unique people I can imagine.
I’m sure I learned this lesson a long time ago, but now I just need to remember it: you can create your own joy and have as much of it as you like, for free.
Personal Learning 