Alexander talks about the things that actually make him happy: making videos, running, scrapbooking. He asks why he keeps choosing chores instead, and what it would take to prioritize joy over everything else.
Hello, everyone. Alexander here. Hope you're having an awesome day. So today's video is what gives you joy and why are you not doing it? And the idea for this video came up because I've been looking at what gives me joy and then also realizing a lot of things that give me joy I'm not doing or haven't been doing. And one of those things is doing these videos. I haven't done a video like this in probably, I don't know, five years, probably maybe four and a half. It's been a long time. I've done some master classes and things like that with Optimize, but I haven't really done a video like this. So I just realized how much I love doing them. And they're really inspiring for me and they're fun and I just miss them and they give me joy. So that is why I'm doing this video today. And some other things I'll just share some things for me about what gives me joy that I haven't been doing and I'm doing now. So the other thing is running and working out. I haven't been training, and I have a lot of resistance to training sometimes, but once I do it, I feel so good. So last few days I've been running. I just got done with my run a little bit ago, and it just feels so good to be doing again. It gives me joy. Once I move through that resistance, there's such a lightness, levity, joy that just really, really helps me. Helps me become the mom I want to be. And then the third thing that came up for me when I was looking at it that gives me joy is kind of like scrapbooking meets vision boarding. Stuff like things like this and like, things like this. Just like words and images and quotes and things that really inspire me. I have stopped doing that since I've had kids. My son is six and a half years old, and I've just done that a lot. I'm not, like, super gifted at it or super artistic, so. But it's very. It's like a creative outlet for me, and it's really fun for me. So I started doing that. And it kind of has no purpose. It's not something that I'm really great at. I guess it's a hobby. I'm not usually great with hobbies, but it's kind of my little hobby and it's super fun. I've really been enjoying it. I've only been doing it the last few days. I just got some supplies and I just do it with the kids. We've kind of been doing it together. They're doing their own art and I'm doing my art. And it's been really fulfilling for me. So those are kind of three things that give me joy that I haven't been doing, that I've now started doing. And now starting like this video is my start of doing videos. I don't know how often I'll do them, but I just missed them. And I noticed that there was so much, so many stories about why I couldn't do those things or why I shouldn't do them. Like the videos, there's not really that much purpose. And I don't have a lot of quiet time. Usually I have kids around me and lots of stuff around that. And then running, kind of just lazy, like, oh, it's too much work. I'd rather go for a walk. I don't have time without the kids. It's hard to do with the stroller and them riding their bike and yada yada, yada. You know the story. Because we all have the excuses for why we're not doing what makes us happy. So just, I guess for me it was looking at what. Why am I believing those excuses? And what would it look like if I started doing what gave me joy instead of doing some of the other stuff? Which means I will say, in the last few days, the dishes haven't been as clean. The laundry hasn't. There's a big pile of laundry that isn't done. I'm not really that great at laundry ever, but it's really gotten bad since I haven't been giving attention to it. But my theory, and it seems to be working, as for my overall enjoyment and joy in life, is that once I fill up on things that really feel good for me, then those things I'm able to do better and quicker and more efficient and be more creative and doesn't feel like all I'm doing is cooking and cleaning and doing all those things. Because a lot of times there's always going to be more dishes, more things to cook, more taking care of kids. It's just gonna be part of it. But. But my focus right now is really going for my joy. Like simple little things that give me joy and fill up on that joy. So that when I go do the dishes, whenever I get to them, which I will get to them later today, it's on my list to do unless I decide to go to the park or have a dance party or something else, and the dishes are going to wait So I am choosing joy instead of that stuff. And I know sometimes, sometimes my case for not doing the joy is like, I feel so much better when the house is clean and I get all my tasks done, and yada, yada, I make all the phone calls. But when I don't do the joy, I also notice that it just feels like all. Like my mom said to me the other day when she watched my Play 101 class on the optimize membership. She said, oh, it was so good to see you. And I just realized how fun. I forgot how fun you are and. And how fun you were before having kids and all the, like, household and the kids and all the things to do stuff. And it just really made me think of, okay, well, why can't I still be fun? I can still be fun even though I have those things. And I wanna make fun a priority for me first before I do the other stuff. So that's my current experiment, and I'm like four days in, but it feels really good. I feel much better just doing that. And it's a simple little tweak. And then I also noticed that it. It kind of spirals once I kind of get that Joe go Joy going and I want to do more of it. Then there's little dance parties in between. We had all the stuff that I need to do with the kids, and it's just a lot more fun. So that is my video for today. What gives you joy and why are you not doing it? And start doing it. I would be very curious to see if what gives you joy and you're not doing. Why are you not doing it and what would happen if you let yourself just do it. All right, until next time, sending you lots of love.
