Joy of Spontaneity
It was a gorgeous afternoon and I had been inside all day.
Just on a whim, I decided to hop in my car and explore a neighborhood near Oakland called Rockridge that my friends had mentioned.
After driving around with the help of google maps, I found it. I walked up and down the vibrant streets filled with energy and life.
All of a sudden, something caught my eye. CHICAGO-STYLE PIZZA! Being from Oregon, I rarely get a chance to get some incredible Gino’s or Lou Malnati’s pizza unless I am connecting through Chicago.
Needless to say, I was excited to try Zachary’s Chicago Pizza across the street. I looked them up online and discovered that Zachary’s Pizza has been around for 35 years, ranked FOURTH Most Popular San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants in 2015, and the best restaurant in Oakland on Trip Advisor.
Done, sign me up! I did notice the HUGE crowd in line as there was no doubt this place was popular and lives up to its reputation.
Like my manifesting powers for finding epic parking spots, I was ushered immediately to an open spot at the counter.
Watching them make these pies made my mouth water waiting for mine to come out. But I think the most joyful gift of this spontaneous experience was randomly meeting and getting to know my fellow diners sitting next to me. I met two lovely local ladies who shared with me the awesome places I need to check out around town.
Then I met Tj Patterson, who was also visiting from out of town. We had a great conversation and I learned golfing with his dad and trying wines brought him joy. I’m excited to connect with him when my #JoyfulLivingProject tour takes me to Denver.
The pizza was fabulous! Not quite the ones I’ve had in Chicago, but definitely a solid winner!
What spontaneous things can you do today that could reveal surprisingly joyful discoveries and connections?
The Joy of Ordinary Things
Living in an apartment building downtown for the last 5 years, I can’t remember the last time I spent 20 minutes watering plants with a hose.
House sitting for a friend in Oakland on the first stop of my 18-month journey across America for the #JoyfulLivingProject, I discovered such joy and relaxation simply watering these plants and giving them life.
Even a mini rainbow appeared under the water stream. When we stop to notice the simplest things like this, we see that joy can take many forms that do not require money, planning, or others. It’s just there for us to notice at that moment and be received.
What simple ordinary things do you do that you may experience joy?
