At times life can be like a juggling act. Each day filled with balancing what needs to be done that day, taking care of others in our lives, taking care of ourselves and tending to the necessities of daily living. I have found that no matter what is going on externally in my life, I can move through the day in joy. One can be joyful and yet hurting or conflicted about something in their life all at the same time. Joy is an inner state that is not dictated by life’s current circumstances. Instead, I find joy to be a mindset…one of of well being and inner peace. In the midst of trials and challenges, joy is present. I can be sad, frustrated or disappointed about something and still have a joyful heart. Here are three practices or habits to help you better connect with your own joy in your life.
Gratitude
Gratitude is tightly connected to joy. When we practice gratitude every day, it puts us in a place to feel joyful. In the mornings, I will write down what I am grateful for in that moment. Often during the day, I send myself a text message of what I am grateful for. It is like saying thank you to the Universe for my blessings. For instance, walking down the stairs this morning to make my morning coffee, I began whispering to God what I am grateful for as I begin my day. When we start the day in a grateful state of mind, we look for things all throughout the day to be grateful for. It sort of presets our brain to look for more things to be grateful for. When we feel gratitude, we feel joyful. Plain and simple.
Let go
To connect to the joy in our lives, one must learn the ability to simply let go. When we tightly grip something in life, wether it is a relationship, an outcome we are hoping for, a specific result, or a dream to come to pass, it can steal our joy. Practicing the art of letting go and letting things simply be can bring joy into your day. For me, it is a surrender to the Universe and God knowing that the higher good is working for me not against me. While I am doing the work to move toward my goals, I trust that all things are working together for the good. This helps me return to a place of joy during the times of difficulty. Letting go of negative feelings, resentments and judgements opens the doorway to experience more joy in life. When some issue rises up in you and you get that knot in your stomach about it, just quietly repeat back to yourself the words…”I need to just let this go.” Hanging on to issues or feelings that cause us unrest steal our joy. Let it go!
RELATED: Forward Focus: Shedding the Weight of the Past for a New Season
Be In The Present Moment
Getting comfortable in the present moment and “what is” as a daily practice is a way to increase your sense of joy. I know that whatever unfolds in my day, wether I was planning for it or not, is for a purpose and I meet it with an open heart. If this present moment is uncomfortable and I spend all my energy trying to change the present moment, I may miss what it is here to teach me. Instead, I remain open to what is and see how I can grow from it. The same is true if the present moment is exciting, positive, and makes me feel good. I would soak it in and really lean into the positive feelings and feel the joy in the moment. I think there is no definite good or bad moments in the day. Each is just simply a moment, time, an experience and it doesn’t need labeling. Mostly, our decision if this moment is good or bad is dependent on our perspective and attitude at the time.
Have a beautiful weekend and may you practice connecting to joy just a bit more today than yesterday. Sending you love and light!
