Why Delight Should Be our Normal State of Being
and why we’re conditioned to believe it’s out of our reach…
PSA 1 of 2 -Discover practical tools for fast stress and burnout relief in my free live webinar on August 23 at Noon Central Time. Limited spots available. This topic directly connects with the upcoming post you're about to read, and there'll be a Q&A session at the end.
I'm convinced that delight is meant to be our natural state. It equips us to shape a better world, support our communities, and excel in our endeavors. Both ancient wisdom and modern science point to this, but “the grind” has been normalized in culture so we just don’t see it as something we can live out in our lives.
Sadly, almost half of the US population experiences depression, while stress and anxiety plague many more. We know that poor mental health severely affects our physical health, relationships, creativity, and ability to make a difference.
Research emphasizes the importance of satisfaction, purpose, and relationships for a fulfilling life. I opt for the word "delight" because it has more depth for me. Take the recent experience of dropping off my youngest daughter at college—mixed emotions coalesced into what I'd call delight. A blend of pride, joy, and deep connection.
Delight makes us feel fully alive, empowered, content and fulfilled. Can we experience it more often? Can we hope to experience it all the time? The answer is a resounding yes. Now imagine how that would affect us.
How would we work? How would we love? How would we eat, sleep and create?
It's not just a possibility; it's a necessity we all yearn for but think of it as out of reach.
And yes, even in the midst of injustice, pain and suffering, delight is victoriously present if we look beyond the headlines.
I’ve experienced it, in social unrest in Latin America, in extreme poverty in Africa and just a few months ago—in war-torn Ukraine (a link to that story here). One does not exclude the other.
So pursue it fiercely and fully. It starts with a decision to stop tolerating stress, anxiety, and burnout as normal. Rebel against the status quo. This silly and unhealthy status quo is diminishing you as a human being.
Once you get a taste of delight as a baseline state of being - your life is never going to be the same.
What’s your take on this? Let me know in the comment section and please, do send this to a friend who would enjoy reading this post.
Psalm 37:4 - "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
P.S. Over 100 other scriptures about delighting as a lifestyle paint a picture of what is normal for a Christian. If this post sounds a bit too optimistic, you may want to explore that and make up your own mind.
PSA 2 of 2. If you’re like me—driven, a bit obsessive, a striver—this is for you because we strivers tend to experience the least delight. We often take leadership roles in businesses, charities, and churches, leaving us too preoccupied with our myriad responsibilities to address our own lack of joy and delight. Eventually and inevitably, this reality catches up with us, and the toll we pay is significant. If this describes you, and you’re done tolerating it - my coaching program, Xponential Life, is currently offering an end-of-summer promotion that is unlikely to be repeated. To learn more, please register for this in-depth masterclass or simply get in touch with me.