Every one of us is born joyful. It is our natural birthright. We’re all born happy, playful, free, uninhibited and loving but, bit by bit, children learn to rein in laughter, seek approval, hide impulses and become conditioned to do only that which pleases and makes life easier for others.
Remember what made you happy and start shedding the old limitations and expectations. It takes courage to choose joy.
We know the power of gratitude….how often do we put it into practice?
If you can’t feel joy, this can mean that you are blocked from it. The most common block is fear. Self-doubt, control and cynicism also need to be eliminated. We learn not to show parts of ourselves that are socially unacceptable. We learn to conform and behave in a way that will not set us apart or bring disapproval. That kills off creativity, imagination and spontaneity. Keep it light, laugh, find humour even in serious things, and play every day. In these ways, you honour the inner child and keep in touch with it always.
Find the little kid in you and once the child is out, we have to learn its language, remember its feelings and regain is priorities. The things that a child values most are security, love, touch and play. Happiness comes from within. No matter what hurts or disappointments you’ve had, you can find and feel that inner joy.
If you can’t feel your inner joy, it doesn’t mean you don’t have any, you may have forgotten how to access it. Try these ways to feel joy.
¨ Sit in silence
¨ Feel your inner peace
¨ Laugh and dance
¨ Play with children and animals
¨ Walk near the ocean
¨ Do simple, fun things such as playing games, telling jokes and talking to friends
Look around you as well as within – there is love, hope and beauty everywhere.
Let the moments of your life flow freely without the limitations of your fears and insecurities, your ego and your anger, your pettiness and your greed. Just think of how liberated you will be!
When you choose joy as a way of life, everything is easy. You overflow with the abundance of life and that overflow is your gift to the world.
I remember how I laughed and danced as a child, even as a teenager and possibly into my 20s, but by 26 I was a single mom and slowly over time it became harder and harder to find things to laugh about, then one day, my daughter and I took my grandson to an amusement park, it was his first experience at an amusement park (he was maybe 5), we rode every ride, that day, I remember laughing until my sides were sore and my face went numb, true, gut level, tear your heart out laughing, the other thing I remember most about that day, was how I slept that night, I slept like I did when I was a child, deep, peaceful, healing sleep, this is a great post, and you’ve given me an idea for a post, hope you don’t mind if I steal part of your theme here.
Thanks for stirring the memories, Katrina
And thank you…..your memories and motivation reminds me to put more practice into choosing joy. Sounds so simple, but we are not conditioned for happiness, we’re conditioned more for competition and appearances.