![\"Unshakable](\"https:\/\/blog.steveblaising.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Joy-blog.steveblaising-1024x682.jpg\")
These five rhythms inspire my days. I think they’ll inspire you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Joy rhythm #1: Live as if<\/strong><\/em><\/mark><\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nOne of America’s great African American singers, Tom Tipton, lived an extraordinary life of joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He gave us the recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Live as if.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIn the 1940s, Tom, age 8, worked shining shoes by the U.S. Capitol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He heard about an Easter Egg Roll for kids on the White House lawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When he showed up, the guard said he didn’t belong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tom ran home to his mother and told her what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Junior, don’t worry. Just love everybody. Just be the best shoeshine boy you can be.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, Tom, at age 8, learned to live as if<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHe ran to the iron fence and said loudly, “One of these days I’ll be back, and I will go inside that big White House, and they will call me Mr. Tipton.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And they did, over and over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He sang in front of presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and made friends with many leaders who called him “Mr. Tipton.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Joy](\"https:\/\/blog.steveblaising.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Tom-Tipton-and-Vice-Preside.jpg\")
Tom Tipton with Vice President Hubert Humphrey 1968 <\/mark><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nJoy rhythm #2: Smell and taste<\/em><\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.steveblaising.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Coffee-with-Steve-Blaising-208x300.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nEvery morning, I wake up to a smooth cup of coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smell and taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not a big deal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lose these to any virus, and you realize these are gifts from God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
COVID-19 choked my smell and taste for four weeks in 2019, and I came to appreciate this…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Mindfulness of the body is awareness of the taste and smell of this moment.”
\u2014 Steve Hagen<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enjoy everything you taste and smell every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These ordinary gifts help vanquish anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nJoy rhythm #3: Birds<\/em><\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHummingbirds and vultures live in the desert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vultures live off the dead. The past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But hummingbirds live off blossoms. The present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Hummingbirds](\"https:\/\/blog.steveblaising.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Hummingbird-blog.steveblais.jpg\")
Hummingbirds savor blossoms\/James Wainscoat\/Unsplash<\/mark><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nEach bird finds what it’s looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And so do we.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joy comes from the direction we look<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
\u2014 Mat. 6: 26-27<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I thank my son Jack for giving me a hummingbird feeder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, I enjoy watching hummingbirds doing their rhythms of joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are my daily reminders<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nJoy rhythm #4: Floating<\/em><\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhether bathing or floating, we connect with God’s joy in water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I love a hot bath as much as floating in a beautiful lake, don’t you?<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Joy](\"https:\/\/blog.steveblaising.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Floating-1024x768.jpg\")
Kate, Steve, and Jack Blaising are floating at Lake Athens\/Jack Blaising<\/mark><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe Bible refers to water as a metaphor for God’s Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”
\u2014 Jn 7:37-39<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spend time every week around the life-changing effects of water.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nJoy rhythm #5: Walking<\/em><\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf there\u2019s one thing that kept me joyful during the first lockdown of 2020, it was walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While everyone was freaking about getting infected at the gym, I walked by…<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/blog.steveblaising.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Walking-in-Highland-Park-673x1024.jpg\")
Highland Park, TX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n- deer, ducks, and geese at the lake<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- oak, cypress, and maple trees in the city<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Eataly, J. Crew, and Warby Parker at the mall<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
What a joy to move regularly and see so much variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This past Christmas, our family made walking a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each of us bought a Fitbit Inspire 2, and the weekly “Blaising Hustle” began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every Friday, we see who has more steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My kids barely keep up with me. Right kids?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Walking is a great way to exorcise demons. Chase away the worries<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAnd when the demons are gone, you have more joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What daily rhythms remind you to be joyful? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the 1940s, Tom, age 8, worked shining shoes by the U.S. Capitol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He heard about an Easter Egg Roll for kids on the White House lawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When he showed up, the guard said he didn’t belong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tom ran home to his mother and told her what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Junior, don’t worry. Just love everybody. Just be the best shoeshine boy you can be.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, Tom, at age 8, learned to live as if<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He ran to the iron fence and said loudly, “One of these days I’ll be back, and I will go inside that big White House, and they will call me Mr. Tipton.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n And they did, over and over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He sang in front of presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and made friends with many leaders who called him “Mr. Tipton.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every morning, I wake up to a smooth cup of coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smell and taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not a big deal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lose these to any virus, and you realize these are gifts from God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n COVID-19 choked my smell and taste for four weeks in 2019, and I came to appreciate this…<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Mindfulness of the body is awareness of the taste and smell of this moment.” Enjoy everything you taste and smell every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These ordinary gifts help vanquish anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hummingbirds and vultures live in the desert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vultures live off the dead. The past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But hummingbirds live off blossoms. The present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each bird finds what it’s looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so do we.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joy comes from the direction we look<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” I thank my son Jack for giving me a hummingbird feeder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, I enjoy watching hummingbirds doing their rhythms of joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are my daily reminders<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether bathing or floating, we connect with God’s joy in water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love a hot bath as much as floating in a beautiful lake, don’t you?<\/p>\n\n\n The Bible refers to water as a metaphor for God’s Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” Spend time every week around the life-changing effects of water.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If there\u2019s one thing that kept me joyful during the first lockdown of 2020, it was walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While everyone was freaking about getting infected at the gym, I walked by…<\/p>\n\n\n What a joy to move regularly and see so much variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This past Christmas, our family made walking a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each of us bought a Fitbit Inspire 2, and the weekly “Blaising Hustle” began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every Friday, we see who has more steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My kids barely keep up with me. Right kids?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Walking is a great way to exorcise demons. Chase away the worries<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when the demons are gone, you have more joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What daily rhythms remind you to be joyful? <\/p>\n\n\n\nJoy rhythm #2: Smell and taste<\/em><\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\u2014 Steve Hagen<\/p>\n\n\n\nJoy rhythm #3: Birds<\/em><\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Mat. 6: 26-27<\/p>\n\n\n\nJoy rhythm #4: Floating<\/em><\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Jn 7:37-39<\/p>\n\n\n\nJoy rhythm #5: Walking<\/em><\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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