As I’ve begun to settle into my new life in Denver, CO, I’ve been trying to be deliberate about meeting people, experiencing new things, and going to places and events that are sometimes outside my comfort zone. I’m not sure if it is really working, as I would say the end goal would be to find a sense of community, family, and connected-ness to others here in Denver. And those things take some time to develop. In the meantime, I asked myself one question in my journal last week as Pride Weekend started in Denver…

What do I delight in?

  • Experiencing the divine in every day life
  • Using my entire body for what it was designed for
    • Exercise
    • Learning
    • Stretching
    • Strength training
    • Playing / Adventuring
    • Sex / Romance
    • Mutual Comfort through touch
  • Having realizations about myself – how my past, my personality, and my relationships have affected my life, actions, and decisions.
  • Helping others to have those same kinds of “aha” moments about their own lives, and to have them more frequently.
  • Stories that inspire, allow me to dream, and help me to experience other points of view or other ways of navigating the world.
  • Food and drink, a table, a community that looks after each other, challenges, protects, and defends each other.
  • But seriously, food and drink (yes, including alcohol and marijuana). Food and drink involve all our sense, they are complex, and comforting, and are often tied to memory, expectation, & relationship.
  • Well crafted things. Items that you can add to your inventory. Yes, they will wear down and break, but always better than you expect, depending upon usage and environmental factors.
  • Music – it’s hard to easily explain how much I appreciate music’s affect on my life. See My Playlists page
  • The environment – God’s creation, not just in a past tense, but present and future. Mountains and ocean, forest and desert, they all point to an incredibly diverse, interconnected world. I delight in discovering amazing facts about our physical world.
  • Cause and Effect – the fact that there are consequences. Our actions have meaning in our own lives and in the lives of others. I delight in this because it means positive choices, thoughts, and behaviors can have good consequences for our lives.

So what now?

Now that I have this list, I’m trying to design my life in Denver to focus on these things, as well as staying focused on what is actually important in our lives. I’m getting involved in a running group (Frontrunners), sporting teams (VGL Denver), and church (Highlands). I’m taking time to focus on daily and weekly habits. And when I am feeling down or lonely, then I come back to this list and I have many ways to affect my thoughts and mood.

Don’t get me wrong…moving to a new city is tough. Starting my life over after my divorce has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. There have been sleepless nights, tears, and panic attacks. I’ve felt anger, frustration, depression, and loneliness. But I’ve also experienced some miracles and had some amazing adventures (as this blog attests to). I’ve been excited, happy, joyful, and free to make positive life choices. Most importantly, I understand myself and the world in a better, more full way which brings me a sense of peace, love, and security.

What do YOU delight in?

Whatever sparks joy in your life, I hope you can continue to find and experience it. I hope you can experience more love, joy, and peace in your life as you take delight in this amazing world.