Quote: Joy is prayer - Joy is strength - Joy is love - Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. --Mother Teresa
Today I am feeling good--I thought I would talk about Joy and its importance in my life. Joy isn't something that happens every once in a blue moon (though there are days that we feel like that). Joy is there to experience every day in both the little and big things! If you look at the definition of joy it says "keen happiness" --how often am I walking around with that? I like 'state of happiness', it sounds better. Instead of being in a state of chronic depression, suddenly I am in a state of happiness! Doesn't that sound like a much nicer prescription/cure? Mull that over...
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Joy:
1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.
2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy. 3. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.
4. a state of happiness or felicity.
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Have you thought about it? What it would feel like to be in a state of happiness? Would it be harder than being in a state of unhappiness? Or misery? I don't know it must be because it is certainly easier to maintain the unhappy and misery in my life. I think if we took the word "dwell" and "stew" out of our vocabulary perhaps those negative thoughts that keep the joy from are hearts would magically disappear? Or not? While I don't like to "stew" over my emotions--I certainly do like a good pot of Beef Stew! LOL So the elusive Joy--how do I bring you and keep you in my life?
I found this one webpage that had this to say:
-Joy is a state of being that enters your heart when you are open to learning and taking loving care of yourself.
-Joy, like love and truth, is a gift of Spirit. Joy, love and truth enter your being when your heart is open. Joy is the feeling of exuberance and oneness that envelopes you once you have opened to feeling your pain, learning from it, and moving through it.
-Joy cannot enter your heart when you are protected against your pain. When you protect against your pain, you close your heart to avoid the pain, and joy cannot enter a closed heart. Thus, joy is the result of doing your inner work to learn to keep your heart open.
(for full article see: Finding Joy by: Margaret Paul, Ph.D.
Hmm sounds pretty simple the formula for joy is:
1 part Love and Respect for Self + 1 Part letting go of Pain/Anger/Regret + 1 1/2 Parts Choice and Attitude + 1/2 part Deservability=JOY!!!
Sounds like a good formula to me! Now I just have to implement it! LOL
Actually, I am already living a joyful life, I have started to enjoy the things I took for granted before and by doing that I am experiencing joy! I had a pretty crappy attitude about myself. The last 2 1/2 years of chronic depression can do a number on any gal--but just because I have had some difficulties with my mental health doesn't mean that I don't get to have joy in my life! HELLO! I deserve some JOY! So, I let go of the negative and I had found joy! I have found joy in doing the dishes--crazy eh? But, I feel a burst of happiness when the sink is clean! I feel joy watching Youtube videos that make me laugh! How cool is it that people are so creative that they have the ability to share joy and laughter. I feel joy when I think about the people in my life who give me unconditional love (A big thank you Family and Friends)! I feel joy when my Pastor, Betsy called me Thursday to see how I am doing because she hadn't heard from me this week! That is so AWESOME! If you ever would have told me a year ago that I would have been going to church regularly and meeting with a Pastor I would have told you were crazy but today I have this feeling of joy and happiness! Joy because I am open to having God in my life, and Joy because by allowing that God has brought Pastor Betsy into my life as well! I feel joy when my cats come lay on me and I pet them--how wonderful is it that my furry friends are there to cheer me up and snuggle with me! I find joy in the sun, seeing the happiness on toddlers faces! Joy in singing Queen's We are the Champions at the top of my lungs in the car! Joy in volunteering for MFA (Microfinancing Partners of Africa). Joy in having a good cup of coffee at Starbucks, sitting in a comfy chair, reading a book as the sun streams through the window!
Yeah--you might think some of these things are not "worthy" of joy---but that is only because you haven 't allowed enough joy into you life lately! LOL
If you haven't been "joy"ed out yet check out this Youtube Video about Joy: Finding Joy-Simple Secrets
Happy Saturday--I hope you find a bit of Joy today!
Christine
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