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

3 Ways to Embody the Present, Feel Happy & Be More Successful

How many times have you heard that real power (feeling truly happy & successful) lies in the present moment?

Think about books, talks, spiritual leaders… The Power of Now, Return to Love, Be Here Now…

And while those phrases are helpful reminders, stepping fully into the moment can actually feel difficult and elusive. 

Which is why I’m sharing my top 3 ways to embody the present, feel engaged, happy and experience greater success!

1. Breathe

I know I sound like a broken record with this one. 

But, swear to God! It really works. 

Every single time you stop and take a conscious breath, you clear your mind, relax your nervous system and step back into the moment.

Try it right now!!!!!

2. Declutter Your Mind

Sometimes in this experience we call modern life, a thousand things are vying for your attention. Work obligations, family needs, social media, house repairs, auto maintenance, and on and on… so much it makes your head spin.

One of my husband's favorite books is called The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results, by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan. 

To boil the book down to one sentence, it is: 

Focus on the ONE thing you need to do right now.

When I feel overwhelmed, I use this as a way to refocus. 

I also find it helpful when there are 20+ things I need to have finished yesterday. Instead of trying to do them all, I ask myself, “What is the 1 thing I need to do for my (self, business, career, financial freedom - fill in the blank- right now?)

Here’s the thing, even if you’re a great multitasker, you’re still bleeding your focus and pushing yourself out of optimizing your performance. 

I used to think I could do multiple tasks well until I realized how much energy I was wasting. Once I began using this new strategy, I was honestly shocked by how much more effective, happy, clear and successful I was. Largely because I was fully present.

Why not give it a try? Think about it like an experiment. 

Ask yourself, “What is the 1 thing I need to do right now?”

Once that goal, task, job is completed, ask again.

See how you feel.

3. Commit & Focus

This is the enactment of number 2.

It’s about honing your thoughts and making the commitment to actually stay focused despite your mind’s desire to pull you away.

Here’s the truth, when you step fully into the present moment and laser focus, you can accomplish anything! Seriously.

When I was in my first "real" job at 22, a friend of mine gave me a piece of advice. He said that whatever I did, to do it well. He pointed out that regardless of how seemingly insignificant a job might appear, that I should do it fully.

What exactly did he mean?

He meant that if you’re doing the laundry, taking out the trash, washing your face, or talking to a friend, you are in 100%. You are as focused on that task as you would be if you were traversing a narrow, high mountain ridge, about to land your biggest deal, or fulfilling a life-long dream.

In other words, be fully engaged and present in the task at hand.

Now that you’ve taken a few deep breaths, and are ready to hone your mind, what’s the 1 thing you need to do?

Remember to have fun with it and allow yourself the pleasure of being present.

If you want to awaken even more deeply to this present moment, check out my guided meditation on the podcast today.

Have a listen!

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Wishing you so much happiness and success as you empower yourself RIGHT NOW!

AND if you want more tools and inspiration in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up today! FREE!

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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