Although singing a Christmas song in February would be joyful, that's not what the title suggests. But let me ask you a question; how often do you do things that bring you joy?
Let's first look at the definition of the word -
Joy
[dʒɔɪ]
NOUN
1. a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
Seems so simple and completely obvious to say that feeling happy & having fun makes us happy right? So why aren't more of us doing it?
Just like everything else we've spoke about up to this point (and beyond) joy is a choice and can be sought anywhere at anytime as long as we choose to see it. Each morning, I start my day by writing in my journal, "My intention is to create more joy in my life as a priority" and then say it out loud. Our intentions create our realities, and why the hell would we never intend to feel good? But we are all guilty of subconsciously doing it, in some way or another.
Before we crack on with looking at how we can create more joy, lets first look at what steals our joy -
- Comparison - Judgement
- Worrying - Unrealistic expectations
- Dwelling on the past - Sense of entitlement
- Projecting to the future - Perfectionism
- Saying "yes" when you meant "no" - Believing that external factors are the source of your joy
The first step to creating more joy, is to notice and become more conscious to when you are blocking yourself from receiving it with the above actions and behaviours. Once we can get more comfortable with identifying these behaviours within ourselves, we can then choose to see things in a new joyful perspective. Whenever you ever feel yourself falling into that same negative thinking pattern, identify it, but don't judge yourself, and then focus on the joy that is around you instead. I bet you would be surprised at how much there actually is when you give your attention to it. When joy becomes your priority in any circumstance, life starts to feel a whole lot easier.
As Andy Warhol once said, "You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you" Change your perspective and welcome in joy with open arms (socially distanced of course.)
Now the fun part; getting real with yourself and identifying what truly brings you to a state of joy. Please be aware however that you don't misconstrue joy with quick fix escapisms, as most people do. In this category would be the likes of sex, drugs, alcohol and other addictive practises that provide momentary and unsustainable pleasure . Whilst these things are fun in moderation, people can get carried away and confuse these feelings with that of joy. I myself had fallen victim to this false sense of fulfilment over the years, which only left me craving more, feeling destructive and empty and drove me even further away from what was actually important to me and ultimately, who I really was.
So take some time out to sit down and ask yourself these questions, start off by saying them in your head using "you" instead of "me" as you were asking someone else, this helps to hold yourself accountable for how you respond. Then write them down. Your answers can be as simple or as ambitious as you want. I have shared my lists here for your reference;
1. What brings you joy?
- Anything music related - Trying new things
- Connecting with people - Being productive
- Remembering all that I have to be grateful for - Completing tasks/making lists
- Laughing - Being free from overthinking
- Cooking/eating/anything food related - Being outdoors
- Appreciating my progress - Self-development & learning
- Taking photos - Being active
- Giving back - Chilling the fuck out
2. How can you create more joy in your life?
- Stop waiting for something to make me happy and realise that I have the power to whenever
- Meditate daily
- Start the day off right with a good morning routine
- Appreciate the smalls things (I was BUZZING when my new shower cap was delivered this week)
- Proactively schedule time to do the things I love and self-care
- Consciously choose to seek joy no matter the situation
- Spend more time outdoors getting fresh air and that all important vitamin D
- Less social media/screen time in general
- Notice when I have got caught up in negative thinking a guide myself back to the present
- Surround myself with the positive people
- No holding back
- Believing that I can do anything
- Maintaining a positive mindset
3. What would your life be like if you made joy a priority?
- Happy - Content
- Easy - A breeze
- Free from negative thinking - Powerful
- Peaceful - Whatever I want it to be
When we are in a state of joy, we can cause a rippling effect and leave a positive imprint on the world. Choose joy within yourself regardless of whatever else is going on in your life circumstances, and watch the positive changes start to unfold before you.
AND HAVE FUN FOR GOODNESS SAKE! Create fun where it may be lacking, make things easier on yourself during the hardships we face in life instead of piling on more negativity. It's honestly as simple.as.that.
Keep on keeping on,
Nico x
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