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The other day I was sitting in my office, appreciating the distraction of watching a hummingbird outside of my window. For reasons I do not know, the hummingbird seemed attracted to a pine tree. There seemed to be a persistence in trying to find nectar in the pine tree. Of course, there was nothing that was of use to the hummingbird there.
In fact, what amplified the discomfort of watching the hummingbird, was that there were all sorts of flowers not far from the pine tree. Also, neighbors on both sides of us have hummingbird feeders in their yards.
If only a message was sent to the hummingbird that would communicate that the pine tree wouldn't provide what it was looking for and that nourishment was so close.
Of course, noticing the plight of this hummingbird made me think of where we may be wasting energy looking for nourishment, only to come up short.
Are you fluttering around like the hummingbird looking in all the wrong places?
If so, this message is for you.
Stop searching for joy.
The truth is, joy is all around you. The more you focus on trying to find it, the less you'll be able to notice where it actually resides.
Solely focusing on something tends to create tunnel vision - there is nothing else to be seen except a light at the end of the tunnel that will bring us out of the darkness. When what we're focusing on is something that we think we lack, we are continuously placing ourselves in a state of scarcity. Our brains perceive this scarcity as threatening and can become frantic in its attempts to satisfy. But by frantically pursuing a singular thing, the lack amplifies and the energy of not having our needs met increases. The cycle continues and it becomes increasingly difficult to notice anything else.
If the hummingbird had the capacity to sit on a branch and take a look around, it would have noticed the places where there was nectar. It would have realized that the pine tree wasn't nourishing and moved in a different direction. Allowing ourselves to stop, pauses the frantic search that we've been cycling through and releases its grip.
Once we can stop and let go of our focus, we're able to look around at where we actually are. We loosen the grip of the light at the end of the tunnel, allow our eyes to adjust to where light may already reside, and appreciate what's around us.
You may be surprised just how nourishing your current location already is.
Need help noticing joy?
Click the link here to schedule a free consult call with me. I help people stress less and enjoy more.
