“Joy is not in things; it is in us.”
– Richard Wagner
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be joyful. Where does joy come from? How can I be more joyful? What IS joy??
The simple truth is that JOY is an inside job. No amount of money, relationships, successes or experiences will make you more joyful than you are in this moment. Nothing in the external world will bring you joy unless you’ve already found it within yourself.
Joy is a vibration that we tune in to by thinking thoughts that are in-alignment with the vibration of the Universe. We become more joyful by perceiving ourselves and our world through the eyes of Source.
The Universe perceives everything through eyes of unconditional Love. It accepts all circumstances without resistance and welcomes change. “Go with the flow” is its motto.
The Universe is also fully present in this NOW moment. Regrets of the past or worries about the future do not distract it from the beauty of what is unfolding now. Instead it overflows with genuine power – the power of the present moment.
If you want to be joyful, you must learn to mimic these qualities of spirit until they become second nature. In time you’ll realize that joy is not something you “obtain”; it’s something you reveal. The truth is that joy already exists within you; it’s your natural state of being. You’re simply in the process of polishing your mind and heart so that your true joyfulness can shine through.
Becoming more joyful is easy than you think. Follow these 5 secrets to help you tune in to the vibration of Source energy and reveal your innate joy.
How to Be Joyful – Secret # 1: Love & Appreciate Yourself.
The Universe loves you no matter what. Whether you’re fat, tall, short, skinny, honest, dishonest, loving or hateful, you’re still loved and accepted by your Source. Do yourself a favor and make a commitment to love and accept yourself in the same unconditional way.
This doesn’t give you a free pass to be a jerk or sit around on the couch all day eating truffles. As a spiritual being, part of your purpose is to constantly evolve and become better. But you’ve got to LOVE YOURSELF every step of the way if you want to be a joyful person.
How to Be Joyful – Secret # 2: Look For the Good.
If you want to be joyful, you also have to make a commitment to look for the good in everyone and everything around you. If you constantly complain or focus on what sucks in your life, you’re nowhere near the vibration of JOY.
When you deliberately look for the good you attract more people and experiences to feel good about. People will LOVE to be around you because you’ll make them feel so great. You’ll also wind up in the right place at the right time on a daily basis.
How to Be Joyful – Secret # 3: Be Present.
No matter where you are, joy is all around you. But it can only be found by silencing your mind for a moment and noticing the present moment.
Joy is NOW; peace is NOW; love is NOW; beauty is NOW. All the qualities of spirit are located in the NOW. Start to notice the space between your thoughts and YOU TOO will find yourself smack-dab in the middle of NOW.
How to Be Joyful – Secret # 4: Embrace Change.
Everything changes. Change is the nature of the Universe.
Change is a very good thing. If nothing ever changed, life would become very boring, very fast. The moment you welcome change into your life, you will instantly become more joyful.
Embracing change is not as difficult as it may sound. You can start tomorrow by eating a crumpet for breakfast instead of the bagel you’ve been eating every day for 5 years straight. Don’t be afraid of change.
How to Be Joyful – Secret # 5: Do What Brings You Joy.
Ask yourself what you could do to be more joyful, and then go do it. Make no excuses. If you spend most of your time doing something you hate, your priorities are askew.
So what do you love to do? Do that.
