ten minutes of joy

life is intense.

not just mine but those all around me.

a lot is happening,

all. of. the. time.

in my clinical social work class this semester i gave students this assignment:

every day, 

be intentional about giving yourself ten minutes to enjoy life, 

unencumbered by the things on your to-do list.

the "what" does not matter - i will not judge - 

but i will check in with you each week to see how it is going.

as one who is ruled by an unrelenting list of things to do, i find this task of intentionality to be difficult so i understood when my students reflected that "10 minutes of joy" felt like just another task on the list.  

every day, 

be intentional.

as one who is easily distracted into procrastination, i understood when my students came back reporting that "10 minutes of joy" turned into hours of joy and serves as an excuse for delaying the inevitable.  

every day,

be intentional.

as one who is loves a routine but hates feeling bound or stuck, i understood when my students came back to class to tell me that selecting one activity to engage in for their "10 minutes of joy" was boring and uninspired.

every day, 

be intentional.

we have been at this assignment for nearly 2 months and i think, have finally ventured to the other side.  our discussions are less about the barriers and more about seeing the assignment for what it is:

being intentional. 

carving out the time and space

to take care of our emotional and physical well-being.

it is not about the exact amount of minutes or even the actual substance of that time;

it is about our recognition that in the midst of life's insanity,

we all need some time to 

slow down, hold still, and remember:

who we are, why we do what we do, and where we are going.