4 Ways to Tune Into Joy

Did you know that happiness consistently ranks at or near the top of polls when people are asked about what they want in their lives?

Yet connecting to that feeling of contentment, to absolute joy can feel elusive. We know it’s there, we see others experiencing it, but we’re not…

So how do we access joy?

Here are 4 ways:

1. “Joy is here because you are here.” -Dr. Robert Holden

What this means is that we ACTUALLY carry joy. Whether we believe it or not, joy is our innate nature. And in truth, we desperately want to be in that state all the time.

You can think about joy as a vibration, a frequency we tune in and out of like a radio station. Joy is always there, we simply move the dial away from it.

2. Joy is not a destination

Joy isn’t some place you’re going to get to or arrive at. Joy isn’t a goal to achieve either.

Sometimes we believe we can experience joy with a new purchase, a vacation, promotion or treatment. And maybe we're happier for a few days, but invariably, it wears off and we slide back to where we were before.

But what if, instead, you chose to believe that joy was your true nature? That joy is always here, waiting for you to remember and return to it?

If you’re finding that idea difficult, imagine you’re watching a bunch of kids playing in the park directly in front of you. You hear their laughter and squeals of happiness. As adults, most of us have forgotten how to access this. We get busy, neurotic, we live in our heads and take life seriously.

How can you laugh like a child again?

3. Practice Gratitude 

Gratitude is called the shortest shortcut to happiness.

Why?

Think about it.

How do you feel when you’re in a place of lack? When it feels like you don’t have everything you want, need, or desire?

You’re in a bad mood, right?

Instead, what if you focused on all the blessings you have in your life? A healthy body, family, a job, a comfortable home?

Offer thanks for everything you have in your life right now.

“Thank you for my beautiful home, my healthy family, my caring friends, my strong body, reliable car, fun job…”

It isn’t that happy people are grateful, it’s that grateful people are happy.

Acknowledge and appreciate the abundant blessings in your life and watch yourself tune back into joy.

4. Be the most joy filled person you can be

Why? Because the number one indicator of how happy you’ll be in the future, is how happy you are right now.

So how can you be happier right now, in this moment?

If you can release yesterday, avoid worrying about tomorrow, and simply be present right here in this moment, you will discover joy. It is nestled deep inside you because it lives in your heart, patiently waiting for you.

Breathe into that space in the center of your chest and re-connect.

It has never left.

It is always available.

What small actions can you take to help you experience that deep inner joy, right here, right now?

If you want to deepen into this state, podcast #74, entitled, TUNE INTO JOY is for you.

Try it here:

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No matter what your life circumstances, joy is always here for you. And the more you cultivate it, the easier it will be for you to access.

Because joy lives within you, no one will ever be able to take it away from you. That is the power of inner work.

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Photo by Petra on Pixabay

Your Secret to Greater Happiness

I was recently asked to do a Daily Insight for the meditation app InsightTimer and the topic I chose was inner joy.

Joy, or happiness is what we all want, right? And yet is can feel SO elusive.

If you’re ready to access that loving, happy place, here are 3 ways you can experience it more right now.

1. Happiness is here because you are here

Teacher, Dr. Robert Holden reminds us that happiness is actually our original nature. Underneath fret, worry, neurosis and a chattering mind, it patiently waits for us.

I like to think about it as a frequency, like a radio station. Am I tuning into the news, the weather, golden oldies or the joy station?

Why not retune your internal dial right now? Close your eyes, take a breath into the center of your heart and see if you can feel that deep, abiding happiness. it's there for you, I promise.

Shortly after recording my meditations on joy, I watched Brené Brown's Netflix special. In it she mentioned that JOY was one of the most vulnerable emotions to experience. I was shocked! She went on to share that from her research, she noted that the folks who most are able to maintain a state of joy, practice...

2. Gratitude

So, here's an idea. Instead of worrying for the next proverbial shoe to drop or something bad to happen in the future, take a moment and express gratitude for what you have in this moment, right now.

If you've never had a gratitude practice before OR yours has lapsed, a super simple way to return to one is to name 5 things RIGHT NOW that you are grateful for. (For me - it's my family, my home, my health, husband and friends.)

Brené says, it's these folks, the ones who have a gratitude practice, that are the most joyful.

3. Who was your first happiness teacher?

I once was asked to do a happiness journey - past, present and future. When I went into the past and asked, who first taught me about joy? I instantly saw my Nana, my father's mother. She was a spunky, no-nonsense matriarch who deeply loved me AND played games with me whenever I asked. She laughed all day long, always smiled and was happy, even into her late 70s, to sit on the kitchen floor and play jacks with me. 

Have a think.

Who was your first happiness role model?

How can you emulate them more? Any ideas?

For me, simply knowing that true happiness is here is a balm. And a great reminder that there's nothing you need to do, there's no where you need to visit. It's here, always. We get to decide if we allow ourselves to be. 

So try all of these and see how happiness flows into your life. Let me know how it goes.

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5 Major Blocks to Happiness & How to Release Them

When people are asked what they want in their lives, it’s always more happiness.

Then as a society, why aren’t we happier?

According to research, happiness levels in industrialized countries have stagnated since the 1950s and are now actually declining.

And it isn’t about needing more stuff, earning more money or having a bigger house.

As many of you know, I’ve been actively studying happiness since 2011 when I became a certified happiness coach. Since then, I’ve taught workshops on happiness as well as continued to dive into the practice of daily happiness on a deeper level in my life.

And here are the 5 biggest blocks to happiness.

1. I'm Too Busy

Have you filled your time and energy with events, bookings, appointments, and jobs, in other words, tasks that keep you running and “busy” all day everyday so that you don’t have to be alone with you?

 If you just answered yes, here’s your solution:

Schedule an afternoon with yourself. Check in with you. Be willing to go within and ask:

~What does happiness mean to me?

~When do I feel happy?

Sit down with a pen and paper and ask yourself these questions.

Even though we all say we want more happiness, how many of us have actually sat down and thought about what makes us feel happy?

The first time I answered the question, when do I feel happy? My immediate answer was, when I ski! Guess what I schedule once a week during the winter and early spring?

2. There's Not Enough

 Does it always feel like there’s never enough time, money, friendships, love?

The easiest way to shift out of that deep well of lack, is to practice gratitude.

AND, it turns out that gratitude is the shortest short cut to happiness!

Why not start a gratitude practice today?

It’s really easy.

All you have to do is make a list of 5 things you’re grateful for. Do it right now, even if it’s in your head.

At this moment,

• I am grateful for my reliable computer that allows me to create and communicate easily and effortlessly with countless folks across the world.
• I am grateful for my healthy body.
• I am grateful for my loving family who support me, protect me and nourish me with their kindness and devotion.
• I am grateful for the nutritious, wholesome food I am able to put into my body everyday.
• I am grateful for the countless opportunities – in business, marketing, creativity, wellness, friendship and on and on- that I have in my life right now.

I love to do this activity at night, right before I go to bed. It’s a positive review of the day and brings happiness, peace, satisfaction and love to me to fall into dreams.

3. No Reception

Often times we forget to open up, to receive because it might mean we have to do two things: Ask and then listen.

God or the Uni-verse or whatever word you like to use for the great mystery that surrounds us, is always trying to support us.

Our task is to help God by allowing ourselves to open up and receive all the love, goodness, kindness, prosperity, and health that it has for us.

Here’s an easy exercise: try asking for something you want more of in your life (like creativity) then lie down with your arms over your head and feel that creativity raining down on you.

4. Lack of Intimacy

Are you spending more and more time interacting with people online, on Facebook and Twitter and less time talking face to face?

Well, you’re not alone. But you might feel lonely.

One of the best ways to feel happier and more fulfilled is to have meaningful, deep relationships with real, live human beings.

Reach out to people you genuinely care about – friends, family members, cherished loved ones.

Schedule time to be with them. We are all social beings. The love, generosity and support you get will pay off in dividends.

5. Pursuit of Happiness

We are taught that happiness is some elusive thing that we have to chase, and I did this for years. I’d already figured out that stuff didn’t make me happy. Yes, it’s pleasurable, and enjoyable but my new bottle of perfume isn’t going to sustain my happiness day in and day out.

Instead, I went seeking for happiness, learning everything I could, working with different teachers, traveling. I thought, if I kept looking, eventually I’d find it.

And what I found was that I had it all along!

HA

Because joy is who we really are. It is our innate nature.

And the ONLY thing that keeps you from experiencing joy all the time, is you.

We all tune in and out of joy.

It’s so easy to forget happiness and get consumed with emotion or worry, allow fear or anxiety to crowd in. Even when that happens, joy is still there. It waits patiently for you to return.

Think of joy like the radiant sunshine. Even when it’s raining or the clouds have covered over the sky, that sun is still there above it all, beaming down, right?

Joy is the same way.

Sadness, stress, or worry might crowd in and narrow the view, make the winds tremble, the rain fall. But above it all, beams happiness, waiting patiently for us to clear away those clouds.

Take a self inventory and scan how many of these happiness blocks are preventing you from accessing that bright sunny joy.

Happiness is there – waiting patiently for you.

What's the major block you're ready to release?
Share it with us below so we can see you stepping more into joy today!

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Your Life Is A Creative Venture

Lately I’ve been doing inventory.

I’ve been reflecting on my life and examining it by asking this question: Did I make that significant decision according to a set of rules, some kind of pre-ordained/ family inspired plan OR because it was truly and deeply something that I wanted to do for my own self growth?

Take a moment to look back at your life and ask yourself the same question.

Turns out that we make a lot of decisions based on: pleasing others, fulfilling expectations, because it’s the right thing to do or is what we’re “supposed” to do.

Ouch.

But when all is said and done, this is your life. 

It’s imperative – for you, your family, society and the world at large – for you to follow that innate knowing, that core inner voice that’s telling you what you really want to do. This voice that easily gets drowned out by all the shoulds and have-tos shouting around us.

Now is your time.

Give yourself permission to live a different way. And experience life as an exciting adventure.

I believe that we are co-creators of our lives. If you embrace this idea, then allow yourself to step into the role of creative director of your life!

We live in a world of infinite possibility. How exciting is that? Anything and everything is possible for you right now!

If you’ve decided that you don’t want to live by someone else’s rules, limitations or expectations, or perhaps you have had that creativity in your life but somehow lost it along the way, here’s how to get it back:

1. YOU Are In Charge

Embrace this idea that you are the co-creator of your life. Life is an active, creative process, one that we are manifesting and visioning into reality everyday. Think about all of the changes in technology – ipods, smartphones, apps. How did they all start? With an idea.

Your life is a creative process, too, so dream it into existence!

2. Get Really Clear

The first part of being a creator is to decide what you want. 

For many years, I didn’t know what I wanted and so I learned what I didn't want by doing lots of not so fun things. This method wasn't terribly effective and I don’t recommend it. It would have been much easier if I’d known what I'd wanted and gone for it!

Be clear on exactly what you want: a new job (where, doing what, earning how much…) The more specific you can be the easier it will manifest.

Then take focused action towards your goal. What can you do to move you towards getting that job? Write a resume, cover letter, email the company, get an internship, etc.

3.     Focus On The What

Our job is always to answer ONE question: What do you want?

Then we have to get out of the way.

We have no control over the how or even the when. Those are within the Universe’s domain.

I know this sounds hard, especially for those of us who are or were control freaks. But the most amazing part of this is once you do let go, the Universe works in ways you could never imagine from your current vantage point. I have been suprised over and over again by things that have manifested virtually out of thin air!

4.     Relax And Have Fun!

Life is meant to be enjoyed not toiled through. Doesn’t that feel so much better?

I spent years of my life under the harness of duty and obligation. It’s part of how I’m hardwired. The wonderful aspect of this is that it has always motivated me to be of service to humanity. The downside is I can get resentful when I do things because I should and not because I want to.

Now I still serve but in ways that also fuel me. I am happier, and my life is more fun and exciting.

Think about how you can enjoy this creative process of life – making it richer and fuller all the time. How could your life be even more fun?

Relax and know that if you focus on creating it, it will come.

Incorporate these 4 simple tools into your life planning, sit back and enjoy the ride!

Where are you going to start? Leave me a comment below!