JOY: Finding & Committing To What Your Heart Truly Desires
It seems like everywhere we turn, there’s another indicator of tough times ahead. The state of the world, climate change, political polarization, and unknowns in our personal lives can feel overwhelming. The good news (yes, there IS good news!) is that these times of transition are actually an opportunity to focus on what we love, what our hearts truly desire, and what brings us joy. When we do that, we can let go of the rest!
Tough times can illuminate more clearly the things that bring us joy. It brings into stark relief the things we are excited about while also illuminating the things that leave us drained and uninspired.
Focusing on Joy
How can we experience and share more joy in the world during challenging times?
One thing that works for me is focusing my attention on what I LOVE and what my heart truly desires. In other words, I tune in to what brings me true joy. When I do this, the other things seem less catastrophic and simply just part of life.
For me, tending to my garden brings me true joy. When I care for my flowers, veggies, and weeds, I delight in the flow and power of life I see in the plants. It resets my perspective and clears my head and heart.
Once I see the power and beauty of life in my garden, it becomes easier to see the power and beauty in the rest of my life.
This has been a profound realization for me. I find that when you focus your attention and energy in one direction — toward what you love and what brings you joy — you’re able to experience and share more love and joy!
Saying No
Choosing what we really LOVE and what is supremely JOYFUL to us also means saying we also NO to things that don’t fit those descriptions, which can be difficult.
It’s likely that many of us have long been saying yes to things we don’t love or enjoy. Often we do those things because they make other people (our family/friends/colleagues) comfortable.
A great example of this is food! If everyone at work eats fried chicken for lunch and you bring a delightfully fresh salad, choosing to eat the salad when everyone else is chowing down on fried chicken could be very difficult, even if you know that salad will make you feel amazing. You may even opt for fried chicken and then wonder why you feel grumpy and sleepy the rest of the afternoon.
I also see this with social invitations. If every month you have brunch with friends, but this month you feel tired, stressed, overworked, and overcommitted, saying no could also be difficult, even if you’d rather indulge in rest or nature. You may go to brunch anyways, but find yourself feeling annoyed to be there or unable to participate in the joyful way you want to.
So how do we cultivate the courage to say no?
It all comes down to listening to our hearts. When we start to listen, we may find that what we desire actually looks and feels different from the ideals with which we’re most familiar (the “ideal” house/car/bank account/family/career/lifestyle). It can take a great deal of self-reflection, reprogramming, and courage to let go of those ideals.
Be gentle with yourself. When you choose your own heart’s desire, you will feel alive, driven, and rewarded from the inside out.
Identifying Your Joy
Transitions and challenges in life and the world provide a unique opportunity to tune in to what our hearts truly desire.
But when there is so much noise, how can we identify what actually brings us joy?
- Think of a time when you did something that made your HEART SING.
- When was a time in your life when you thought, without hesitation, ‘I want THAT!’ that didn’t come from a place of greed or jealousy or lack, but a place of desire?
- Now take a few breaths and remember what that moment felt like in your body.
- What physical sensations did you have in that moment of pure desire? Was it tightness in your chest or lightness in your limbs? Was it warm, cold, tingly, or prickly? Did you feel butterflies in your stomach, butterflies in your head, pressure in your chest, or lightness in your whole body?
Now you know what DESIRE feels like in your body. Remember this moment so that when you feel those same emotions and sensations again, you can identify them as desire. Develop this as a regular practice so you get to know your own desire well.
My message to you is this: your life is meant to contain joy and love. The more we focus on it and the more we choose it, the more joy we create and share with the world.
JOY: Finding & Committing To What Your Heart Truly Desires – Natural Health 24-7
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