When Was the Last Time You Woke Up in Joy?

"Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow." ~ Helen Keller

When was the last time you woke up in joy? The joy that makes you light in your heart? The joy you can’t touch because it lives inside of you?

If I were to ask you how often do you feel joy, what would your response be? 

If you are one of the many experiencing hard times, you may feel that joy is off in some distant horizon. Where is this illusive joy? 

We live in times of accelerated change and more negative news than we can possibly digest. If we are to do more than strive, I believe we need more joy in our daily lives. If we are to thrive, we deserve the healing nourishment that only joy can bring.

Where is this illusive joy? Joy is your natural state. You were born with it. It is organic and comes from within. It lives in your mind and body. It can be found in each breath, laugh and tear.  It is the moment you invite joy in.   

"If you can carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment." ~ Carlos Santana

Joy attracts joy: It is an energy that is constantly moving and expanding. When we share joy, it becomes like a wave in the ocean, gathering momentum.

Joy attracts laughter: Who doesn't love a good belly laugh and can appreciate the healing that it brings, especially in times of distress? I can remember many a shared moment with loved ones as we waited for "the news" and cried until we laughed.​

Joy inspires: Its uplifting energy inspires an open mind, a curious imagination and a desire to live the life you were born to live.

Joy connects us: When you feel joy in your body, you feel grounded and able to experience more energy and greater awareness.

Joy is good for your health: The effects of stress on the human body have become more and more evident. The body is the vessel that houses our emotions and all that we experience. The better we treat our body, the better it can take care of us. You only have to catch a simple cold or flu to understand the impact of not being healthy. Your body is amazingly strong and resilient while at the same time extremely fragile. Joy leads to health and is your greatest wealth.

Joy is not often talked about or practiced: Sadly, all you need to do is look at the high rates of anxiety, depression, drugs and suicide (made possible by a disconnection of spirit and a joyful heart). Like a gift, joy is your natural state, and you are meant to feel it. You only need to call on it and know it is always there for you. What would life be like if more and more people lived in joy, shared joy and spread it around? When we live from a place of joy, there will be a huge shift in energy and awareness, and from this place, we are creating a life filled with unlimited love and possibility.  
             
I hope you will give yourself an extra quiet moment and breathe this in.

Joy can be found in every moment, each breath, smile, laugh and tear.

Open your eyes to all the ways you find joy in your life. Pay attention to the ways it shows up naturally and go there often. 

Set your compass for joy and know it is always there for you. 

Henri Nouwen said it best, "Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day."

Here's to your unlimited supply of joy!