Go for the Joy

“We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.”               —Joseph Campbell

It’s no secret I love books. As a matter of fact, I saw a post the other day that said, “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” Can you relate? Well, I think every room in my place has books….all types of books….even in the bathroom. In addition to the books I enjoy reading, I am especially drawn to little motivational / inspirational books. I always have been as far back as I can remember. One particular book I picked up recently is called, Joy.

This book is rather colorful and contains wonderful quotes on every other page, along with ways we can cultivate that state of Joy –  regardless of what we have going on in our world. Since my last couple of blogs were pretty intense and heavy, I figured I’d keep this one light and fun. Plus, it’s the start of a new year. Who can’t use a little more joy in their life? I think it’s safe to say that we all can. But, once again, it’s an internal job. It’s not something we can seek outside of us….it’s something we were born with, and it’s up to us to choose to live in Joy. As stated in the book’s jacket, “If we want joy to be the story of our years, joy must be the story of our days. Joy must be a daily choice, a habit, a promise we make to ourselves. Joy must be the way we travel.”  Love!

Joy also builds our resilience muscle, especially when we are experiencing tough and challenging times in our lives. And yes, we can find joy even during the times we are grieving and in pain,  The more we tap into our internal state of joy, the more that becomes our default setting. I also believe joy is contagious. It seems that the more joy we scatter, the more that comes back our way!

So, I leave you with a list of ways we can tap into joy and bring more of it into our every day lives (taken from my recent lovely acquisition). I invite you to pause and reflect on each one and how you demonstrate these qualities (or ways you would like to incorporate them into your life). While they are very simple, it’s also very clear how some of us may have difficulties  / roadblocks / challenges in working with them, especially if joy wasn’t something that was engrained in us as we were growing up. It may have even been looked upon as frivolous, selfish or hokey-pokey. Nevertheless, here goes:

• Prepare for joy
• Believe in joy
• Feel joy
• Encourage joy
• Accept joy
• Notice joy
• Choose joy
• Inhabit joy
• Recognize joy
• Savor joy
• Live joy
• Experience Joy
• Begin joy
• Desire Joy
• Take joy
• Anticipate joy
• Give joy
• Receive joy
• Create joy
• Follow joy
• Share joy
• Spread joy
• Cultivate joy
• See joy
• Catch joy
• Double joy
• Crave joy
• Welcome joy
• Magnify joy
• Find joy
• Be joy
• Make room for joy

Some of these really excite me when I look at them in a more creative fashion. I’m looking forward to finding ways I can expand on them beyond the obvious. After all, we should not have to wait for the holidays, special events, or celebrations to experience joy….as it is an inherent part of life….“Life is a gift. Open with joy.”

This new year, let’s be the Joy we want to see in the world!

Inhale love & light…Exhale grace & gratitude, JTC