There are so many ways that we can amplify joy in our own lives and the lives of others. This begins by not stealing anyone's joy or letting people steal your joy. Some out of jealousy, frustration, anger, prejudice and other negative emotions or experiences won't want you to be joyful and will use words and actions to steal your joy. Don't let them. Acknowledge your joy and celebrate your joy. Joy is special and should be treated that way. Further when those you love experience joy, acknowledge and celebrate their joy too. There are some amongst us who have been taught that joy is too selfish and not positive--those people may not acknowledge their own joy. You may have to kindly remind them of the joyful gifts they have.
As I look around at my community of friends, family, and neighbors, there is no one that I know that doesn't have some joy--joy by way of children, nature, positive experiences, good skills/gifts, and more. That doesn't mean those people don't face some challenges too, but I can't think of anyone who is without sources of joy.
How can we make joy a greater part of our lives and the lives of others? What can we do?
First, acknowledge your own joy and the joy of those around you. Who brings you joy? What activities bring you joy? What personal gifts and skills do you have that bring you and others joy? And, think about out the way you expend your time, energy, skills, and gifts--how often are you engaged in joyful endeavor versus activities with less or no joy?
Also think about those around you and the joy they experience. How often do you acknowledge their sources of joy? How do you react to their joy? As much as possible acknowledge and uplift your joy and the joy that others experience too.
Then think about your joy quotient with regard to how you spend your time and energy? While many of us have been taught that good, hard work is essential to living a good life, we may not focus enough on what actually brings us the most joy. Instead we may focus too much on life's challenges and strife. I challenge you to focus on joy more by acknowledging your sources of joy and by developing greater joy in your life by way of your interests, relationships, and endeavor.
In these political times, it can be difficult to focus on joy when we have many government officials stripping away good leaders, information, programs, and benefits that help people live their best lives. It's also difficult to amplify joy when leaders greedily display poor performance, bad attitudes, and little to no respect. You can combat that by joining those who prioritize true joy.
What is true joy? True joy is not a superficial experience. Instead true joy is a deep experience that you experience throughout all of your being--it's the experience of knowing what you're doing and who you are with is perfectly right for the moment. True joy is not hateful or harmful, but instead positively contagious and rich. I've mostly experienced true joy when I'm celebrating my own and others' awesome accomplishments, experiences, and moments in life. For example, since I value what a good education brings to life, moments when my children achieved educational awards have been moments of true joy as these moments represented new, valuable learning and the result of thoughtful, dedicated effort. I've also experienced true joy when I've experienced people's experiences of deep love and commitment such as the arrival of a new baby, a marriage, or a significant anniversary or family event.
Today as I focus on a large number of jobs, I want to think about what I might due to amplify my joy and the joy of others in the days ahead. Onward.
