Joy
* Joy * Art * Love *
Three simple words that I chose for this site and wherever this journey leads me. I chose these words to embody where I want to get through this journey and a vision of my future. I thought I would spend some time over the next three weeks explaining what these words mean to me. Let’s start with JOY
Joy is a feeling I have struggled with for a while. To me, it will be one of the markers of when I know I am “better” whatever that may look like. To me joy is a carefree feeling - when you are not weighed down by the other things in your mind and you can truly be happy. That’s not to say that I never feel joy. Taking my dog, Quilla, out to play fetch is the easiest way I find myself experiencing joy. Seeing her run after a ball or stick, plus a little mischievousness added in (I may or may not pretend to throw the ball sometimes to psych her out). I have started doing this at the end of each workday. In the current, work from home climate, it’s a great way to signify to my mind that the workday is over, and it is time to unwind as well as bring a little joy into my day.
Joseph Campbell says that “We can choose to live in joy.” I used to think that could not be true. That some people are just happy and others are not. Some people are carefree, others more serious. Some are optimists and others pessimists. There are times we lean one way or the other, but there is an undertone of one or the other.
Through this journey, I am starting to understand that sometimes it takes a conscious decision to choose to look on the brighter side. For me, the first step has been recognizing when I am veering towards the negative side and re-framing it.
I heard said that your mind looks for evidence of what you say. What this means is that if you tell yourself that you are successful, for example, you will notice ways in which you are successful. If, on the other hand, you tell yourself that you are a failure, you will notice all the things you did that you were not quite perfect. When I notice myself being harsh, I try to hit “pause” and notice what message I’m sending myself and re-frame it to a more positive state of mind.
How about you, do you believe that joy is a choice? I would love to hear your thoughts.