Joyfulness

“Find out where joy resides, and give it a voice far beyond singing.  For to miss the joy is to miss all.”  Robert Louis Stevenson

As we continue to practice gratitude in our daily lives and appreciate our blessings, the big and small, we start to give rise to joy.  We begin to rejoice in our own good fortune and in the good fortune of others.

Joy is our natural state of being.  We are born joyful.   The difficulty in staying joyful is we live in a society of wanting things and having things to be happy.  Wanting things takes away from our joy, and having things is just a temporary joy that will eventually fade away.  “True happiness comes from our attitude toward things, not from things themselves.” www.wildmind.org

So how do we spend more of our time in a state of joy?   

Here are some suggestions from www.wildmind.org:

1.       Smile
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Thich Nhat Hahn

Smiling has an effect on how we feel.  Even when things are not perfect in our lives, smiling can make us feel better and reminds us we can deal with our pains and fears.  Smiling is contagious and brings positive feelings to us and to others around us.

2.       Appreciate

When we express our appreciation for what we are grateful for, we bring more joy into our lives. We can express appreciation through writing a thank you, telling someone what we appreciate about them, or meditate on what we are thankful for.

3.       Feel Love

Love is one of our deepest needs and the experience of loving is deeply beneficial and brings about a sense of wellbeing and joy.  You can evoke this loving joy by remembering the beauty in a loving gaze (watching a sleeping baby), or a loving touch (recalling a loving hug from a friend, parent, child).  You can meditate on joy and loving-kindness while feeling the loving energy of the Universe surround you.

4.       Think Positive

Our brains have a tendency to move towards the negative, but we can train our brains to think positive.  Practice turning off the negative thoughts by turning on the positive thoughts. There is always a positive side to every life experience even if our brain is moving towards the negative.  When you find your brain moving towards a negative thought, take a deep breath and focus on the positive.

The more we practice positive thinking the more joy we will experience.  Take a moment to meditate on all the positive and wonderful experiences happening in your life, the life of others, and in the entire Universe.

Joy is natural to an open heart.  Whether you are practicing heart opening yoga poses, showing your appreciation through loving-kindness, or thinking positive, remember to smile at yourself and others.  Joy is contagious.  One joyful smile brings another and another.  Keep spreading joyful energy everywhere you go.

“Joy does not simply happen to us.  We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” Henri J.M. Nouwen

Namaste,

Betsy