CREATING JOY
When I first stopped and looked at my life, really looked at all aspects, the one thing that I noticed was that most of my time in my life was not joyful. I had moments of happiness for sure, and I wasn't particularly unhappy, but I wasn't walking around mostly joyful either. Why? I was continually training and educating myself to be a better educator, better parent, and live healthier, but not learning how to live my time here in joy. And literally what could be more important? If you are not living in joy, nothing you gain or change in your world will matter. More importantly, I felt I was saying one thing to my daughters and my students, yet living something completely different. I lived for special, happy moments and then put so much pressure on those moments, and everyone in them, that the outcome was often the opposite of what I wanted. I was consistently living and planning for moments in my future that are fleeting and not creating a true sense of joy that endures with me every day.
I knew I had to change. Not that I had to make changes, but that I had to change. I began to study and read every self help and how to book and study every technique out there. One night I woke up, not able to sleep and started writing it all out, all my thoughts and lessons learned, and somehow it all clicked. I knew I had to create a life for me to be joyful in. I knew instinctually that this personality, this body was chosen for my spirit and that I had to find a way to create a life that listened to and honored both. I didn't have to search for anything external, but instead, start listening to and trusting in my choices, my dreams - those held in my soul. Creating a life I loved would mean living in joy, and it hit me that this was not only not selfish, but necessary. I make the world a better place when I am in a state of joy and I honor the Universe, God, and all life, when I am joyful with my time here. From joy flows gratitude, acceptance, empathy, passion, and most importantly love. No one can love, truly, if they are not in a state of joy.
I started to find moments every day when I could listen to my internal voice, to learn what brings me joy - from the little ridiculous things like an old favorite pair of socks on a Saturday morning to the big things, like who I allow in my inner circle. I started, moment by moment, small decision by small decision, to honor exactly who I am every day, every moment, by creating a life that I love.
What is amazing is how your life changes when you create moments of joy. You start seeing more joy around you, you inspire others to create more joyful moments, joyful people are drawn to you and you are better able to handle difficult moments because you know that joy is not the absence of difficult times but joy gives you the grace to walk through those difficult times with a joyful heart that will laugh again.
Most importantly, I have learned that it is my responsibility to create joy.
Not to go searching for it, not to wait for someone else to bring it, not to expect that it will come with the next item I buy or promotion I get or that it's waiting for me on some date in the future. I will create my joy today.
I truly hope you will join our community and inspire us with your journey
and be able to joyfully say I created a life I love!
How is joy different from happiness and why do we care if we are joyful?
When I first stopped and looked at my life, really looked at all aspects, the one thing that I decided I had to do was to bring more joy in my life. For me, this meant I had to create a life I loved. I was a single mom, working two jobs and feeling stressed out, overwhelmed and scared for my future and that of my two daughters. I was continually training and educating myself to be a better educator but not learning how to be a better human being or how to go through this life with joy. More importantly, I felt I was saying one thing to my daughters and my students, yet living something completely different. I lived for special, joyful moments and then put so much pressure on those moments, and everyone in them, that the outcome was often the opposite of what I wanted. I was consistently living and planning for moments in my future and felt time slipping through my hands.I knew I had to change. Not that I had to make changes, but that I had to change. I began to study and read every self help and how to book and study every technique out there. One night I woke up, not able to sleep and started writing it all out, all my thoughts and lessons learned, and somehow it all clicked. I knew I came into this world and will leave this world with this spirit. This body and spirit are linked and it doesn't matter who chose who, but for me to live to my full potential, and be joyful about my life, I must use both. My personality and skills associated with this body and the dreams and internal compass from my spirit must both be honored, respected and combined to bring the best of me to this world. Bringing the best of me to this world I know will bring me joy. Living in joy, I realized, was not just for me but I now knew is my duty to honor both the physical and spiritual world. I make the world a better place when I am in a state of joy and I honor the Universe, God, etc., when I am joyful with my time here. From joy flows gratitude, acceptance, empathy, passion, and most importantly love. No one can love, truly, if they are not in a state of joy.I started to find moments every day when I could listen to my internal voice, to learn what brings me joy - from the little ridiculous things like an old favorite pair of socks on a Saturday morning to the big things, like who I allow in my inner circle. I started, moment by moment, small decision by small decision, to honor exactly who I am every day, every moment, by creating a life that I love. What is amazing is how your life changes when you create moments of joy. You start seeing more joy around you, you inspire others to create more joyful moments, joyful people are drawn to you and you are better able to handle difficult moments because you know that joy is not the absence of difficult times but the grace to walk through those difficult times with a joyful heart that will laugh again. Most importantly, I have learned that it is my responsibility to create joy. Not to go searching for it, not to wait for someone else to bring it, not to expect that it will come with the next item I buy or promotion I get or that it's waiting for me on some date in the future. That is happiness, it comes from the external and is fleeting. Happiness is great, but joy, which is internal, deeper and lasting, must be created by me for me. I hope you will join our community and inspire us with your journey and be able to joyfully say I created a life I love!