Joy is simple
I have come to an understanding that life is about the simple moments. The ones that pass you by without you even noticing, but once you acknowledge its fullness, you don’t want to go back to the mundane. It is in those somewhat rare moments when we feel our hearts light up, and it’s as if your soul is set ablaze. The joy is almost palpable.
Joy is a condition of the heart. It is an intrinsic feeling, formed and nurtured in you followed by it exuberating all over. Much like a river fed from different sources, it keeps on overflowing to the outside as long as the source is still feeding it, but when the source dries up or is stingy, the flow ends as well.
Know Your Source
To keep the flow, we ought to keep the source abundant. There are many activities that feed our joy, they might differ from person to person, but some are universal. The more we incorporate such activities into our day to day living, the more those twinkling moments of intensified joy will become an all-day, everyday thing… the joy will just keep gushing out!
To be able to know your sources, it takes mastery of self. When you spend time with yourself digging into your utmost feelings, you will learn what feeds your fire. Looking at it this way, we become the protagonists of our joy, you decide to be joyful and do what makes you have good mental health. We are creators, the artists of our joy.
Ten Activities as Sources
The following ten activities help as sources that feed joy. These activities may help keep us grounded and in oneness with inner-self by calming mental turmoil, thus giving us incomprehensible peace, which in turn births joy.
*Prayer & Meditation
Joy and mental health cannot be separated, when you have good mental health joy becomes a plus. When your thoughts are troubled, stressed clouds your mind and you find it hard to relax and even harder to feel inspired. Prayer and meditation allow you to quiet your mind and get access to some facets and layers that you might have not discovered yet. It gives you peace of mind, as thoughts are harnessed and you focus within, where joy is brewed.
*Gratitude
When we are thankful we automatically get to be focused on the positive, in the little bright places even when the whole world seems to be grey. A grateful heart shifts your whole perspective of life, as you stop judging and complaining, you open your mind to look for the good things happening around you. Find something to be grateful for each morning, which will feed your joy for the rest of the day. And, in the evening make it a culture as well to introspect, look back on your day, and find what you are grateful for; if possible make a list. When you master the art of being grateful even in difficult moments, you will always have a joy source.
*Doing random acts of kindness
The thing with joy is that it’s not just about one feel-good moment, it goes deeper. When we give joy and love to others it is somehow given back to us, we feel it in our insides. Start a wave of love, of joy-giving everywhere, by doing a random act of kindness to a stranger. When you start the ripple it goes on and on from one person to the other. Imagine what a colorful world that would be, one colored with love and joy all over.
*Feed on an adventure
We are a naturally inquisitive species, we feed on an adventure. Learning something new daily or getting more information on what you already know and enjoy can be a great source of joy. Get involved in something you love. Take a leap… there’s immense joy in learning and trying new things.
*Find purpose
When you have a sense of purpose… something bigger than yourself, it gives you something to look forward to. We all crave for that feeling of being useful. When responsibility aligns with your passion, the purpose is found. Discover what sets you aflame, this is your passion and that is the first step. Take responsibility for that passion, daily by giving yourself tasks to complete. For example, if you love writing, write a piece daily.
*Indulge in joy aesthetics
There are some little things that bring an immense feeling of joy when you come across them. Whether it’s a beautiful sunset or sunrise, bright-colored fields in nature, etc. In ways, these things somehow are a representation of the ‘aesthetics of joy-abundance’, renewal, and celebration. Try incorporating all these small effects into your daily living in some form or the other.
*Self-care routines
Take the needed time to treat yourself. Self-care is not selfish and it’s absolutely joy-inducing! So, take yourself on that spa date and indulge in your favorite meal once in a while. When you feel cared for, you are joyful.
*Spend Time with Loved Ones
Spend quality time with your loved ones, the people that bring out the best version of you. Time spent with such ones is often a reboot to your joy.
*Indulging in spiritually upbuilding activities
As a religious person l often find myself joyful when I’m taking in some ‘spiritual food’ in one form or the other. You ought to find activities that you find enlightening, spiritually edifying, and spend time on it.
*Taking action towards a goal & inspiration
Commit to your goals. It produces a feel-good factor and as steps to your goals are accomplished, confidence grows, which produces more joy. Stay open to finding inspiration from people as you go about your day. Always taking a leap towards your goal, even if you fail you will still find joy in the journey of trying.
To be joyful is to be intentional about your daily activities, and choose those that feed your joy stream.