Joy is not derived from the gratification that comes with new material objects or a pleasurable outcome. As people, joy is what we experience and is found in delicate moments that arise within us.
With the festive season approaching, there is no better opportunity to look beyond the challenges that you may be facing and to position yourself to knowing how to cultivate constant joy thankfulness for all the seasons in your life.
No matter the season of life that you may be going through, it is important to honour the feelings that arise. This means acknowledging those difficult emotions and not simply suppressing them. Once you have done so, recall and focus on the feelings that uplifted your spirit, such as the good news of the day or the pleasure of accomplishing a task. Should the feeling be a little much for you to handle on your own, surround yourself with supportive people who can help pull you out of the mud of discouragement.
Anger can be destructive because of its uncontrollable nature, however it is healthy and a normal reaction in life. The anger we have towards situations that are out of our control tends to leave us feeling helpless and powerless. Use the power of anger as fuel to ignite the change you want in your life. We do this by tapping into anger’s pure power – which enables us to cultivate constant joy by increasing our level of productivity.
Accepting a situation that we did not create for ourselves is a difficult feeling to handle, however we cause unnecessary conflict within ourselves by not accepting it. Acceptance does not mean defeat, but rather it is choosing to stand on the neutral ground of the situation. Seek to accept the situation then find ways to change it. Ask yourself how you can bring love to it and act on that impulse. This change in mind set will eventually lead to joy.
In as much as joy is cultivated from within we, external influence and the unexpected places around us may also activate the joy in our lives. The greatest joy is found in helping someone else, this may be through mentoring or volunteering.
Joy in the form of self-care and taking care of your wellbeing is allows you to keep pouring into the lives of others without feeling depleted. Keep your joy activated with meditation, uplifting music and by creating a space where you can express yourself and spend time with your loved ones. Joy as an outward expression may also be found in the small acts of love, kindness and compassion towards others.
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