Choosing Joy
Choosing joy can happen in two ways.
1) It happens proactively by making choices each day that reflect the desire to be in gratitude, to live in the moment and to focus on the internal
2) It happens reactively when we choose to lead from emotion.
Something important to consider is that happiness and joy can be seen as two separate states of being. Happiness tends to be externally triggered, based on other people, things, places, thoughts and experiences. With that, we can see how the feeling of happiness is always fleeting.
Joy on the other hand, is deeper.
It emerges from within ourselves and is not limited to what is happening around us. Joy is who we are at our absolute core. Santosha in yogic philosophy translates to contentment and this is when we are truly joyful and satisfied, regardless of our environment. Like gratitude and perspective, joy is a choice.
There are intentional actions we must take to land in joy, especially as we navigate the other layers of our self. You get to choose the narrative. In times of stress, it’s a natural instinct for most people to focus on anything and everything that is already making them feel anxious. It is not that is it hard to be in joy, it is that we have been conditioned in our lifetime to resonate with negativity. We tend to be more comfortable feeling something negative, than allowing ourselves to be in joy. Brene Brown refers to this as “foreboding joy”.
Yes, you will have to fight for joy sometimes.
Finding joy in the midst of crisis, in the midst of pain, trauma and hardship will not come easily but it is there, within you. It is possible in even the toughest of seasons, to be in joy. This doesn’t mean we ignore reality or pretend that everything is right in the world. But it is possible to hold joy and pain simultaneously, because…
that is what it means to be human.
Allow yourself to be in both.
Be patient.
Be playful.
Give yourself grace.
You are joy.
How Can You Choose Joy?
Practice Gratitude - Last week’s intention
Start a gratitude journal in which you write three things that you are grateful for. Start and end each day with the acknowledgment of everything you have to be grateful for. Your breath, health, love in your heart. Sit in this space of gratitude and allow it to envelop you.
Control the narrative
Are you letting let the world, media, family, etc. choose the narrative for you? Is that the narrative you would choose for your best self?
Do things that will make you feel better about what is happening right now
Journal prompts for joy:
Do you know the things in your life that fill you up?
In which moments do you feel the most peace and ease?
What are the simply joys of life? *freshly cut grass, barefoot in the earth, favourite song coming on the radio
Do things that will make you feel better about what is happening right now
Create a joy list. Write out people, places, objects or experiences that make you really happy. Can you identify exactly what it is about each of those things that brings you JOY. In your heart, what is the feeling?
Schedule at least ONE thing in your day that brings you joy
Embrace the simple experiences and pleasures
Slow down - enjoy the food you are eating, the air you are breathing, the sounds that surround you, the people in your life. Finding gratitude is easy when you slow down.
Be in a community that holds you accountable to joy
Choose the people who elevate you, and you, them. Choose the people who make you laugh, remind you to stop worrying so much, and bring playfulness to life. Choose the activities that keep your cup filled rather than constantly empty. Remember, joy is a choice, choose wisely.