Joy is the lifeblood of our human experience. To be without it, is to rob ourselves of the richest wealth we have come to enjoy with others in our earthly existence.
A life lived without experiences of genuine joy, is in my view, one of the saddest and most worryingly common afflictions of our fast paced, problem and productivity focused world.
All too often when we’re busy firefighting the problems of everyday life, focusing on the productivity of our working lives and our responsibilities of our home lives;
Joy gets put at the bottom of the priority pile.
And it’s a huge dampener for your vitality, productivity, immunity and mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health.
Life becomes lacklustre, lacks meaning and connection, you physically loose radiance and energy, and everything becomes hard, rigid, and lacks flow and flourishing.
Becoming aware of what fuels you, fills you up, inspires wonder, and brings you a sense of childlike joy, big or small, is HUGELY beneficial whilst we navigate the angst, unease and uncertainty of current times.
Are you prioritising or parched of joy?
When was the last time you experienced a moment of pure joy? A carefree sense of being fully immersed in doing something you love, that fills your body with a radiance which makes you smile from the inside out?
I had to relearn my ability to experience joy. After years of being disconnected from it, and prioritising everything else as more important, I had to rediscover how to bring golden rays of joy into everyday life again.
I say re-learn, because we were all born with the innate ability to experience and feel joy. You only have to look at a baby to see its natural embodiment of wonder, joyfulness, and ease. It’s why baby cuddles are some of the best medicine out there!
You too were born with joyful radiance at the heart of your being.
As we grow older, we lose our connection to the inherent joy we experience when we were children.
And whilst our societal, family conditioning and life traumas creates a shield between you and joy as we move through adulthood, the presence of that joyful radiant child, doesn’t leave us. It actually remains ever present, waiting for us to reawaken and remember the inner child within.
Cast your memory back to what you loved to do as a child. What did you enjoy doing? What did you spend hours doing for the simple pleasure of it? Where do you remember being your happiest?
Children spend hours exploring in presence and play. And it’s this same sense of wonder, imagination and play that we have all too often lost as adults.
For me, my sense of joy and wonder is ignited and expressed doing the following things:
- Being by the sea. Spending time swimming, watching waves, collecting shells, and playing on the beach.
- Watching sunset, sunrise, and spotting a rainbow anywhere! Basically anything that involves colour and the sky….
- Smelling, picking and admiring flowers.
- Being, playing and getting creative amongst nature.
- Eating good quality chocolate.
- Listening to good music and moving my body (hello morning dance parties in my bedroom!)
- Creative and active play such as painting or playing tennis.
- Animal or baby cuddles!
- Being spontaneous and connecting with friends who have a shared sense of fun, curiosity and adventure.
These are just some of ways I know will ignite my sense of joy and wonder.
How about you? Can you write yourself a list of what inspires joy within you?
Once you know or allow yourself to explore what brings you joy, try keeping small daily or weekly promises which support your own unique connection to joy, especially when things are busy and stressful.
Prioritising joy, when we’ve experienced the stresses and strains of the last few months may seem counter-intuitive, but I promise you, a little joy can go a long way in restoring hope in amongst the uncertainty and challenge we’re all experiencing. En-joy!!
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