Joy is Essential
What does Joy mean you? What brings Joy to your life? How can this Joy be expanded? Noticed more intentionally in every day? And when you notice Joy, how do you feel? References or word definitions of Joy include pleasure, delight, satisfaction, happiness, gladness, glee, elation, euphoria, and bliss.
Why is Joy important? Joy can lighten our ‘load(s)’. Lift our spirit, our mindset, our outlook. Joy is essential to achieving an overall state of wellbeing, yet it at times seems elusive and this elusiveness can add to a sense of overwhelm with life. In turn this can spiral to darker places in our minds, making life more challenging or difficult. We can choose Joy. Even if only in small ways to start. We can notice, note, create and embrace Joy in our lives. It can be simple things such as a beautiful blue sky, a soft gentle breeze, the bright sunshine, the sound of rain, puffy clouds overhead, the nuzzle of a pet’s nose, the laughter of a child, flowers in bloom, grasses swaying in a field, a starlight night, the moon shining, a body of water, or a scenic view.
Joy can be experienced through movement and music. A walk in nature. Engaging in a favorite physical activity or hobby such as swimming or gardening. Hearing the call of a loon or the song of a bird. A beautiful melody or good ‘ole rock n roll.
Joy can be experienced through relationships with others; sharing time and/or conversation and common interests or activities with those we care about and with whom we can be our full self. Giving to and doing for others can also bring great Joy.
Joy can be experienced through engaging in things for which we have excitement and passion. It can be achieved from accomplishing tasks or goals, large or small. Making progress toward a desired end. Noting these accomplishments and/or progress to desired ends. We each need to discover the many things that bring us Joy and engage in these experiences/relationships/activities more regularly.
Sometimes risk taking can bring joy; doing something not done before (whether successful or not) can bring joy. Stretching oneself, getting outside of one’s comfort zone. The trying and the learning and the growing. “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” (John C. Maxwell)
We can as well intentionally shift our awareness to those things that bring a smile. A pause in the day. A moment to breath deeply. A Joy moment. Increasing our awareness itself of noticing, noting, creating and embracing Joy creates change in positive ways. It opens space for consideration and opportunity to grow, potentially providing a place to start letting go of things that keep us down or hold us back. The most important thing being to make a start. To begin.
Joy can heal. Noticing. Noting. Embracing. Creating Joy. It can change our physiology, releasing calm inducing, positive chemical messengers/hormones in our body such as oxytocin while reducing negative, stress inducing chemical messengers/hormones such as cortisol in our body.
When was the last time you experienced Joy? True blissful, freeing Joy. What were you doing? Thinking? Feeling? Note these times. Notice the times that bring Joy in the now. Embrace the Joy. Seek or create spaces of Joy. Moments. Gaps in the routine where Joy can be received. It will swell the heart, deepen the breath, soften the body and relax the mind.
Keeping a Joy Journal, writing of Joys noticed and/or experienced, can reinforce and enhance those Joys further deepening each Joy experience; taking them from short-term memory to long-term memory and furthering developing of an awareness of Joy toward cultivating a Joy Mindset. Reviewing the Joys aloud or sharing with a trusted person can continue to expand those Joy experiences.
As well, an end of the day summation of daily Joys (versus the oft routine of reviewing the negatives of the day) re-acknowledges the Joys and brings them forth to facilitate relaxation before retiring for the day, enhancing the possibility of a more restful sleep.
~ Robert Holden
How will you choose or endeavor to notice, note, create and embrace Joy in your Life?
Jayne D. B. Marsh is a Leadership and Life Coach specializing in Life Prosperity (flourishing & thriving) through Personal and Professional Growth. Jayne provides Individual Coaching by phone or in-person with those who have a desire to grow and move forward in their life, uncovering & discovering potential and opportunity, as well as small Group Coaching for leaders and business teams in person or by phone toward achievement of goals. She additionally provides Workshops, Presentations and Training, and facilitates MasterMind Groups and Vision Meetings. Jayne is trained and certified at the Associate level in Core Energy Coaching by the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), and a Master Practitioner in the Energy Leadership Index (ELI-MP); programs certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
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