Where Is Your Joy?

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about joy. Where we find it, how often do we feel it, how do we know we are creating it, and more.

For some the absence of pain or chaos is joy. For others its feeling excited, pleasure, and exhilaration.

For me it’s all of the above and more. There are several quotes about joy, but here are two of my all-time favorites.

I remember times in my life where I thought there was no joy.

If there was ONE thing wrong or out of kilter then there was NO way I had permission within myself to even consider joy. If something is wrong then ALL things are wrong. That is what I said to myself over and over and over.

How miserable was I?
MIS. ER. ABLE.

To be able to ONLY let myself feel one thing at a time was like putting myself in prison.

That is my hindsight now. 20/20 right? Yet at the time I didn’t know how to function in any other way.

I can see how much of each day I missed out on. I don’t think we are taught how to hold more than one emotion at a time. Do you?

I know I am working hard to teach Jack he can be upset and go on with the moment and be happy at the same time. He can be sad and glad all at once.

What would be possible if you gave yourself permission to be sad and glad all at once?

I Also Believe That Joy Is A Choice.

It can come upon you. Someone can do something for you and you feel joy. You could see a bird fly or smell a rose, hear a song and feel joy. AND I think that you choose how much joy you let into your life. What you allow to be defined as joy TO YOU.

Yesterday as I was working on a project, I realized that I had CHOSEN to cut myself off from so many things I USED to love and that brought me JOY.

One of them is music. I hadn’t even really realized I don’t listen to music at all. I use to have it around me 24/7. It helped me emotionally go through hard break ups. I helped me to feel joy, to dance, to express myself.

So, what did I do? I turned on Pandora to a channel I love and turned it up loud.

I remembered. I remembered ME. I remembered friends, dates, boyfriends and more. I remembered. I got connected and I chose JOY.

I haven’t been sitting around going oh my gosh look what I did to myself, I could have done better, I shouldn’t have ever stuffed this down for 35 years, the could have, should have, would have’s that beat us up and for me then I don’t speak up.

SO, I am asking YOU:

Where can you find joy in your life? What in each day brings you joy? Are you allowing the joy to SHOW UP? Are you opening your hearts eyes to it? Are you willing to let it in and let it count as JOY? BREAK LOOSE AND FIND THE JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a great picture that will let you know exactly what music I was listening to yesterday: