Finding JOY
The small and wonderful joy of bubbles. Image by Alex Alvarez on Unsplash
For the past week, I’ve been contemplating joy.
I realised how closed off I had been to seeing the joy and the sweetness in my life.
We as humans are all so closed off to this. Are we conditioned out of seeing the joy that surrounds us? Are we so conditioned to suffering that we don’t see the beauty?
It’s there. Often it’s right in front of us.
It’s in the small things. A delicious punnet of raspberries. The way our child delights as they pick flowers in the park. The steaming hot cup of tea or coffee that greets you in the morning. The kiss of the wind coming off the ocean.
As we come into this August full Moon, which like all full Moons, illuminates what we need to see (if only we would look!) about ourselves and about our relationships, I invite you to consider JOY.
What in your life brings you joy? What’s one small thing you could savour, today?
There will likely be some resistance, or you may notice that criticism, negativity, or ‘problems’ come in immediately you allow yourself to feel the joy.
Know that this is natural, and normal. It’s what Gay Hendricks calls ‘upper limiting’: when we’ve hit the upper limit of our capacity to feel something as unfamiliar and ‘unsafe’ as joy. Our ego, bless it, wants to keep us safe by staying with what we know, so it will jump in with pain and problems to bring us back to the status quo.
So when that negativity comes up, take a breath. Put a hand on your heart if it feels good. Hug someone you love.
And try again tomorrow. Indeed, why not make it a daily habit?
The more we flex the joy muscle, the easier it will get to feel it – and to feel it for longer periods of time.
Love,
Tamsin xo
3 takeaways from this post:
Joy is right in front of us, in the small things and the small moments.
What would be possible if you let yourself feel joy once a day?
Notice if criticism or problems come up. It’s a natural response to a feeling that’s unfamiliar, and therefore ‘unsafe’ according to your ego. Keep flexing the joy muscle!
Do you want to bring more joy into your life? I’d love to help you shape a life that is an unending source of joy. Drop me a line if you’d like support, or book a transformational coaching or shamanic healing session here.