Michelle Blanchard Ardillo

For over a year now, I’ve been ending my tweets and posts on Instagram and Facebook with #findthejoy. Whenever something makes me smile or makes me happy, I snap a pic and tag it #findthejoy. This stemmed from my desire to bring more joy to my social media posts, in an effort to combat the never-ending stream of negativity and sniping that is everywhere today. I also wanted to approach life from a more positive viewpoint, and to just be thankful for the things I have, rather than whining about the things I don’t have.

On April 28, I posted five photos I took while walking my dog after school. They were all taken either in my yard or on my street within a half a block away. I got quite a few comments on the photos on my various social media platforms. I’m far from a professional at photography and these were just quick snaps with my iPhone, holding as steady as possible while my 16-pound Maltipoo jerked my other hand repeatedly to continue walking. 

This abnormally high level of traffic to my social media sites made me think about what was so intriguing to my friends about these photos. One possibility is that we had a miserable winter and spring seemed to be taking a leave of absence, so was it that things were blooming and sprouting finally? Was it the #findthejoy caption? Or, is it a sign that others feel similarly about social media: there is too much negativity out there.

My life is not perfect but I am in a very good place right now. I would love to lose some weight, but I weigh less than I have weighed in the past. My knees bother me, especially Mr. Lefty, with his torn ACL, but I don’t think about them that much except when I have to climb a few flights of stairs. I wish I had more free time to read and cook and craft, but I still love teaching and I love my students and the people I work with. I miss my younger daughter terribly (she lives in LA), but my older daughter is back living at home and we are really enjoying her. My aunt, who is also my godmother, is very ill far away in Louisiana, but my father-in-law at the age of 91-1/2 is recovering very well from a heart attack and subsequent treatment for that. I would love to travel overseas again, but I am so very happy at home with my dear hubby cooking a good meal in my new kitchen. So, for me it is very beneficial for me to try to remember to look at the positives in my life.

My conclusion is that we need to find the joy – everywhere and anywhere we can. We need to look for joy, and we need to not focus on our problems. I don’t think it is Pollyanna-ish to say that being in a bad mood breeds dark and melancholy feelings. Being thankful each and every day for the small pleasures of life can help push those negative thoughts aside.

For me, prayer is a big part of that. I pray frequently throughout the day. Granted, it’s not that difficult when you teach in a Catholic school and the whole school pauses three times a day to pray over the PA system. But I squeeze in other times in my day as well. There’s a lot of talk about mindfulness these days, and it seems to be tied to meditation and Buddhist teachings, things I am not well-schooled on. I do know, however, that when I pray, whether it is for an hour in Mass or during the Angelus at noon at school, I am focused like a laser beam on that prayer, as mindful as I can be that I am in the holy presence of God.

I’ve made a conscious effort to avoid the news, except for a quick glance at headlines on my phone. When driving, I listen to a podcast (What Should I Read Next by Ann Bogel is my favorite, along with Milk Street Kitchen and Bon Appetit) or the PBS classical music station. At home, I watch PBS, Food Network, or HGTV, and if all else fails, I watch a Columbo rerun. I read more now (thanks again to Ann Bogel) and even though I sometimes read things that are dark and gloomy, I am swept away into someone else’s dark and gloomy life, not my own.

Earlier this week, I went back out with dog and phone and snapped a few things that don’t scream out “beautiful”, however, I find them beautiful all the same. Definitely #findthejoy material. What do you think?

So, go on. Go out and find the joy – everywhere and anywhere. The more you look, the more you will find. Use #findthejoy and tag me on one of my social media platforms. Share your joy!