FINDING JOY

 Joy can come from the simplest task we do on a daily bases, to the extreme joy of an unexpected surprise. When we take the time to recognize that there is joy in just being alive, we can then begin to see the joy in every aspect of our life. Joy is a conscious decision that we can make each moment of our lives. From the time we get out of bed, to the time we go to sleep. By changing our mindset and the way we look at things, being present and in the moment, will help us see the joy. We are told in the bible to "Count it all joy". That is because even when we are going through tough times, "Joy cometh in the morning", which means that whatever we are going through right now that doesn't seem joyful, we are learning something about life, which in turn will bring us joy.

If we allow ourselves to open up and start to see all the joy in our lives, we can then see the good in everything. We can start to see the good things that we have to share with others. Most of us are in a rush, rushing to get out the door in the morning, rushing to get through work, rushing to pick up the kids, rushing to get home, rushing to take the kids to this or that activity, rush, rush, rush...... But, what if, we were to take a moment to breath and realize the reason behind all the rushing? I mean there has to be a reason for it or we wouldn't be doing it, right? That is where joy is hiding. Joy is hiding in the meaning of all the rushing. But, if we don't take some time to see the reason, we miss the joy.

When was the last time you felt pure joy—with no guilt? If every time we feel joy, we feel guilty, then no wonder we don't want to see the joy in our life. How about if we were to understand that our life should be full of joy. Joy is the greatest expression of love. So, why don't we try experiencing true joy by bringing joy, first to ourselves and then to others? Truly being who and what we are, that is joy. Then we can pass it on to our kids, our spouse, our home, our careers, all can be considered joy.

How come we feel like our lives are a chore? Joy is expansive, the fullest outward expression of ourselves. Joy is being ourselves. So, why do we find it so hard to see the joy even in our most mundane routines? We should be remembering that we created the life we are living and if it is not joyful, then it is up to us to change it. If our kids, our spouse, our jobs or our activities are not bringing us joy, then we are the ones who have to change, not everyone or everything else. We have to start loving ourselves enough to know that when we are out of balance and our daily routines are not bringing us joy, then it is up to us to find some quiet time and rethink our priorities, and bring joy back into our lives.

There was a time when each aspect of our lives brought us joy or we wouldn't have brought it into our life to begin with. When we were looking for a job and found one there was and excitement about it, whether it was because we needed it to put food on the table, or we finally found the one we dreamed of. Our spouses brought us joy at one time or they wouldn't be our spouses. Our kids brought us joy or we wouldn't have even wanted or had them. Everything that is in our life right now is here because at one time we felt joy about it. It is time to recapture and realize the joy of the life we created.

"You don't have to be good. You don't have to walk on your knees for hundreds of miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves." By Mary Oliver