JOY | Part X ~ The Core Value Series

It’s taken me a long time to write this post. Mainly because I’ve never really stopped to think about my own experiences of joy before, so it’s taken some researching! Along the journey I’ve discovered that joy can be elusive. Like the butterfly that flitters past, before tantalisingly disappearing from view – there one moment and gone the next. But that’s okay, because joy is just one colour in the palette of emotions that we experience each and every day.

 

There are key moments in my life that spring to mind when I think of joy:

 

My wedding day.

 

The birth of my son and the many precious moments we have shared together since.

 

Special times with my siblings as a child, playing in the yard at Moseley street with our blue and white 3-wheeler-trike.

 

Coffee dates and long conversations with sweet friends about the meaning of life.

 

Beautiful hot summer date nights with my love.

 

Plus all the other momentous occasions – like graduating from University, buying a puppy dog and snuggling with him on the couch while it rained outside, or helping someone in need.

 

And while these stand out as shining examples of extreme joy there are many other small joys that go almost unnoticed but all contribute to a sense of wonder about life.

 

Since I started writing this piece, I’ve become acutely aware of what brings me joy and I’m noticing that joy can be found everywhere when you’re looking for it.

 

In fact I kept a ‘joy journal’ for 4 weeks so that I could tap into the joyful aspects of my world. Here’s a list of the simple things that have been bringing me joy:

 

• Running and playing outside with my son
• Taking my puppy and little boy for walks
• Meditating (especially outdoors on my back deck)
• Walking by the river, listening to the call of birds at dusk and the hum of bees in the trees
• Climbing into bed at the end of a full day and the feeling of clean crisp sheets
• A big bear hug from my man, my love
• A kiss from my little boy – (he is just learning how to give kisses, so beautiful)
• Holding my mumma’s hand and looking into her beautiful blue eyes
• Hugging my father and hearing his words ooze kindness, always
• Spending time with my sisters, my brother and watching my son play with his cousins
• Spending time with my in-laws and seeing the love they have for my son
• Drinking a cup of peppermint and ginger tea (with a slice of lemon) and just being
• Seeing the warmth in someone’s eyes in the clinic when I have validated their health concerns and offered them understanding, and a way forward
• Titheing to a favourite charity
• Writing in the wee hours of the morning when I feel alive and exhilarated (and my creative muse comes along for the ride)
• Opening the lid to my favourite doTERRA essential oils – grapefruit, frankincense, citrus bliss and lavender and feeling the immediate calm that washes over me
• Raising my vibration with meditation, yoga and Pilates, clean eating, green juicing and making ethical choices with the companies I choose to support
• Meeting a stranger on the street, offering a kind word thought or deed their way and ‘throwing kindness around like confetti.’ Yup, this last one always brings me joy and I can see the happiness rub off on those around me. It’s definitely catching!

 

Documenting all of these things has been an act of gratitude and joy in itself.

 

And the more I have been focusing on gratitude and joy, the more I have been feeling it in my heart and seeing it around every corner.

 

I’ve also noticed that for the vast majority of the reflections above it’s not about finding joy in things, it’s about finding joy within. Being mindful enough to slow life down. To be in my body.

 

Earlier this week while listening to Hay House radio I heard the lovely James Van Praagh talking about joy.

 

What he said was that j-o-y can be found inside everyone’s j-o-u-r-n-e-y, you just have to be open to it on a daily basis.

 

He reminded us that we can’t control other people but we have the choice every day to control ourselves and how we show up to the world.

 

The last thing he said which I loved was to ‘just keep leaning in the direction of your heart and you can’t go wrong.’ Wise words indeed!

 

So it’s clear that joy is something at the core of my that I value deeply. But what is the definition of joy according to the Oxford dictionary?

 

Joy (noun) – a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. ‘She cried tears of joy.’

 

I love this. But I would like to comment that I don’t necessarily believe that pleasure derived from our senses i.e. eating chocolate is the same as joy derived from mindset and thoughts alone! The first example is a chemical cause of joy (hello neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine) – the latter type of joy is much more to do with daily choices, circumstances and mindset or attitude to life.

 

I asked the gorgeous Bree Hogan – health coach, writer and motivational speaker from Starbrite Warrior what the value Joy meant to her and here’s what she had to say.

 

“To lead a life filled with JOY you have to first know what this emotion means to you; what makes your smile lift, your heart sing and just all-over lights you up from the inside out. There are no right or wrong answers here because we are all unique! One of my all-time favourite (and fail-safe!) joy-inducing activities is my ritual weekend Chai latte sessions with my hubby and fur-baby. It makes my joy-beacon shine bright!”

In the spirit of Louise Hay and her beautiful zest for affirmations here are some of my favourite affirmations for Joy:

• I am vibrant and joyful
• I am surrounded by joyful people and joyful circumstances
• Everything is working out for my highest good
• I am a joy to be around
• I love my own company, and I am wonderful company for others
• I bring joy with me wherever I go.

 

I do hope that something in this post resonates and inspires you to seek out moments of joy, or develop a deeper sense of appreciation for the joy already in your life.

 

I invite you to begin basking in joy.

 

Allow the belly laughs to spill out of you.

 

Don’t be afraid to squeeze any tiny drop of joy from each and every experience in your life (something I am learning.)

 

Don’t hold back. As my dear father says to me ‘there are no dress rehearsals.’

 

Find moments of joy – and if you can’t find them? Create them!

 

I’ll leave you with these lovely words from inspirational Buddhist thought leader Thich Nhat Hanh

 

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile. But sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”

 

I would also like to add a disclaimer that people with mood disorders, personality disorders, or mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression may not have felt joy for a very long time. This can in part be due to disturbances in neurotransmitters in the brain as a result of medical conditions, side effects from medications, hormonal changes and even nutritional deficiencies. If you have a consistently low mood please do seek help from your trusted health care professional – doctor, counsellor, psychologist or naturopath.

 

If you would like to meet me in person and talk more about your health, wellbeing, mood or a ‘Whole Living’ approach to life you can book a session with me here.

 

I offer Physiotherapy, Naturopathy and a new Integrative Care appointment for a more holistic approach to your health and wellbeing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much love and as always – if you would like to share this with friends or family then please do, so that these words can go out into the world and create a positive ripple effect.