Where Is Joy & How Can I Get Some?
Welcome my friend, Joan Kappes, as a guest blogger and book launch partner. Thank you Joan for your beautiful, wise post.
Joan Kappes is a lover of life who continues to do just that – Living life with joy and intention! Joan has been very successful as an adventurer of life – Mom, Wife, Friend, Traveler, Youth Counselor, General Manager, Business Owner, Entrepreneur. She currently is a writer, speaker, retreat designer, life coach (specializing in Beliefs and Law of Attraction) and creator of “Come to the Edge Today!” an interactive website. Woven into her journeys, and especially today, Joan remains committed to up-lifting her clients by holding the beauty of their light as they endeavor to live their lives to the fullest. Her motto: “The destination is great, but it’s the journey we came for…it’s the journey that IS life!”
Where Is Joy & How Can I Get Some?
Guest post by Joan Kappes
All of us want to experience Joy; our observations show that the demand is high. As for the supply, some people appear to be overflowing with it and others seem to have a dwindling supply. Some are Joy-filled even when the world is crumbling all around them and others, who you think would be brimming with it, experience nothing.
It is clear that the accumulation of “stuff” is not a recipe for experiencing Joy. Life circumstances do not guarantee Joy either, nor does status or financial abundance.
In our heads we know this, don’t we? Yet, we search and look and acquire, knowing deep down that it is there – somewhere.
Did I say “deep down”? As it turns out, that’s exactly where Joy is found – Authentic Joy is an “inside job”!
Following are “truths” regarding Authentic Joy:
♥Joy flows from the inside – out. Life circumstances, financial abundance, status, the accumulation of stuff etc. are not the causes of Joy (they may augment it, but are not the cause of it, nor the reason for not experiencing it)
♥What gives you Joy is totally unique; it springs from the depths of You
♥Joy is a way of “being”
♥A Joyful person focuses on experiencing Joy and settles for nothing less
♥A Joy-full person sees with the eyes of abundance and gratitude
♥A Joy-filled person recognizes who they really are – One who is worthy, valuable and Loved
♥A Joyful person is open to receiving Joy
Today’s exercise: Decide to focus on allowing yourself to experience Joy! Choose to consistently practice one or more of the suggestions below.
Following are 12 Ways to Experience Joy…today!
1♥ Commit to noticing Joy around you – in others, in yourself, in an animal
2♥ Be aware of what gives you Joy (from the inside-out). Make a list. Purposefully put yourself in circumstances that foster your Joy
3♥ Study and participate in children’s Joy: Spend time with them
4♥ Hang around Joyful people – observe, ask them how they live-it, let them ‘rub off’ on you
5♥ Play with animals
6♥ Turn off the TV and stop reading the newspaper for 30 days. This will help you refocus on inward Joy (try it – really!)
7♥ Make a gratitude list. Commit to adding 10 new items each day. Make a point to genuinely “feel” the gratitude as you write and re-read the list
8♥ Tone down your “mind chatter”. Often our minds and our thoughts are too active leaving little room for “the heart”. Gift yourself at least 15 minutes of quiet time (listening to soft music, meditation, silence, etc) per day
9♥ Go outside for a walk. Allow yourself to see, hear, feel and touch nature
10♥ Commit random acts of kindness. This is a great one for stirring up the Joy within!
11♥ Practice being “ok” with where you are. This mantra is very helpful: “In this moment, I am fine. In this moment, all is well”
12♥ Practice self acceptance (the best tip of all!): Make a list of at least 5 things you like about yourself and commit to adding at least 2 new aspects each day for 21 days. Experience the feeling of gratitude for who You are
These exercises, when consistently acted upon, will unleash the unending supply of what we’ve all been desiring – a life of Authentic Joy!
Joy – it’s all around you —— Joan Kappes
You can find Joan Kappes at the following locations:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Joan_Kappes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joankappes
Website/blog: http://cometotheedgetoday.com
Email: cometotheedgetoday@gmail.com
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2 Comments
In 2006 I was sentenced to 27 years in Federal prison for drug trafficking. I was hooked on pain killers and I was in the “lifestyle” but I wasn’t a “dealer”. The judge ran my three 9 year sentences concurrent so my sentence was actually 9, but my faith told me I would never do 9 years, and I didn’t, I did 3 1/2. While there I wrote my own book, so I won’t write it here, but, initially, that’s how I got through it, ( I pretended to be an undercover reporter, which, I believe to be a reporters dream, hence, my “opportunity”).
I was a first time, non-violent, no victim offender. No victims other than myself that is.
At my second sentencing, after my first conviction and sentence was reversed due to a violation of my constitutional rights, the judge gave me 5 years less, I was over JOYed! Then the judge asked me 2 questions. #1 Who makes the choices in your life? and #2 What are you going to do when you get out? Of course I responded by taking responsibility “I do Your Honor, I make the choices in my life”. However, when I answered his second question, I have no idea where my response came from: ” Find Joy, Sir, find Joy. He told me he hoped I’d find it.
Little did I know that at that very time of my life I had more joy than I have ever had since. While in prison I had very few responsibilities. Many friends, lots of respect, no bills, I ate REALLY good, I exercised EVERY day with long walks, and I had a purpose. I had so much faith, I prayed EVERY night. I felt worthy, and I liked who I was.
Imagine that. I had JOY in prison, and now that I am home I am miserable.
I lost it. I lost the joy I didn’t even know I had. I can’t get it back. I won’t stop trying. Thank you for your blog … I’ll read it and keep searching.
I am not sure I answered you. I am very touched by your comment. Joy is there for you, I promise.
You will find your way back to it as it did not leave you. Just be your authentic self, build love
into every minute of every day and you will find the joy. If I can help, let me know.