Simple tips for a joyful life.
Hello dear readers,
When the energy around us is intense and uncertain, I’ve found it is more important than ever to be remain present and use the our self healing tools to stay centered and grounded. The more we use tools to connect to joy, the more we can inspire and influence others from a place of peaceful clarity.
Here are five simple tips for a joyful life.
Do something you enjoy without sharing it with anyone (play!)
In a culture that seeks outside validation, having something you do just for YOU is an essential step for getting us out of the image (mind identification) of who you are and into the present moment where you can just experience joy for joy’s sake. For me personally, I love drawing/sketching, reading, baking, decorating my home, hiking with my dog and playing with my children. What are some things you enjoy that are just for you?
Be present with the goodness in everyday life:
We are constantly surrounded by life’s abundance if we only take a moment to notice and consciously feel the goodness that exists in the here and now. Begin to take time each day to sit and be present with this goodness. We can find it when we take notice in things such as: the comfort of a soft pillow as we wake up, with the first sip of a hot cup of coffee, the feel of the sun’s warmth on our cold skin, the kind smile from the check out clerk at the grocery store. These moments offer us plenty to feel grateful for as small but significant acts of love. Be present and appreciate life’s small offerings of love. It is the small moments that make up our lives.
Do one thing each week that pushes against your comfort zone (and sit in the discomfort).
Most people don’t like change. There is an almost instinctual fear of the unknown that may have served us well when we were living in the wild but no longer works for modern day living. For our next stage of evolution it is time for us to move from mind center to the heart center. By taking a small step that pushes against our comfort zone we let go of trying to control life in hopes we can keep circumstances from triggering areas within us that are wounded. Instead, we must embrace the triggers so that we can ultimately face and transcend our shadows. Sit in the discomfort and observe any anxiety with love and compassion. Then move forward anyway. Have that awkward conversation, put your heart out there, express your passions, step forward and lead. The world needs a heart centered society.
Eat something each day you really love in total presence.
Having a healthy relationship with ourselves means we have a healthy relationship with the foods we eat and how we nourish our physical, emotional and energetic body. When we deprive ourselves or go on extreme diets, we often burn out and run out of willpower (and might even end up bingeing on 12 hours of bad Netflix shows and junk food). Instead let us enjoy the small pleasures that food can offer by eating foods we love in total presence. If you want to treat yourself with something that isn’t the most nutritious, eat it in full presence, without distraction. If you find you are still hungry, ask yourself “what am I really hungry for?” Often the answer has nothing to do with food.
Listen more, talk less.
We’ve become a culture that believes every thought we have to be fact. We put our self-righteous opinions on a pedestal and have become completely identified with our egos. This total identification to right and wrong (us versus them) strengthens the illusion of separation. It is time for us to wake up from the hypnotic dream of our mind so that we can live and experience love, unity, inner peace, clarity, purpose and presence. To wake up we must listen more, talk less. We must listen to others who trigger us without adding to the noise.
Each person has a personal truth shaped by their life experience and culture. It is not our job to change or convince someone to share our personal truth but instead to be present and compassionate to those who are suffering. When we cultivate inner silence, we no longer identify with thoughts but instead sit in the seat of the witness, the peaceful aware-self that is the one unchanging constant in a world in constant change. From this space our actions take on a deeper and powerful frequency which inspires and invokes change without force.
I hope you find these tips helpful in creating a joyful life! Remember to always listen to your own intuition and return to the present moment for what we truly desire begins within.
Have a beautiful day,
Jackie
