Have Your Joy and Pleasure Been “Eclipsed?”
April 5, 2024
by Kim Childs, CPPC
As I write, we’re three days away from what many say will be a powerful total solar eclipse, and it’s got me thinking…
When my clients come to me with problems they want to solve, we recognize that it’s super easy to focus on the problem and let it “eclipse” other parts of our lives, robbing us of joy, presence, and pleasure. This is especially true when my clients feel stuck in miserable job situations.
As we work to move them forward to something healthier and more fulfilling, we also look at the state of their health and well-being, relationships, play and leisure. If those areas are neglected or being held hostage to unhappiness at work or elsewhere, it’s hard to muster the morale and energy we need to move forward.
So what do we do about this?
We can begin to identify small and doable ways to boost those other areas for more life enjoyment. These can include date nights with spouses and lunch visits with friends, better sleep habits and device-free walks in the fresh air, and play dates and refreshment breaks for ourselves. Making some time to nourish these other areas even – or especially – when we think we don’t have the time for it adds to our lives and boosts our mood, morale and capacity to address the problem area from a fresher perspective.
I encourage you to try it, and recommend two great books to help in this process, Designing Your Life and The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. The former has helped many of my clients navigate life and career changes with more skillfulness, self-awareness and success, and the latter radically changed my life and career trajectory in the late 90s. I went on to lead groups in this powerful work that helped to change even more lives for the better, and I still have clients using its transformative tools and practices.
May Monday’s eclipse help you see and release any shadow energy that’s holding you back. And if you think I could help you with that, please reach out.
Here’s to your inner and outer shine. I’m rooting for you to feel it and share it.
Kim Childs, CPPC, is a Certified Life and Career Coach specializing in Positive Psychology, creativity, and life transitions. Click here to learn more and schedule an initial consultation.