The word ‘Joy’ brings up such wonderful thought-pictures, doesn’t it? Think of a child and the Joy that child can find by delighting in such little things. A small child doesn’t wake up feeling dread about the day to come. That child is steeped in wonder as the day unfolds. Squatting down to watch some ants or a caterpillar on the sidewalk. Blowing bubbles through a straw into a drink. Running through a sprinkler in the summer or building a snowman in the winter. There is a certain Joy in being a carefree kid, isn’t there?
But then we lose that. We start school and worry about bullies and tests and book reports and best friends. We’re afraid of the boogey man or the report card or the team coach. We start to live with disappointment and concern and fear and we forget how to be filled with Joy.
What happens to us? And who is there to teach us to go inside to find the Joy that puts all the outer circumstances into perspective?
I think we learn through the anxieties of adults around us that Joy is something that waits in the wings while we are living ‘life’ – standing by until there is a carefree moment again in which to experience Joy. We’re allowed to feel that at our wedding, at the birth of a child, at a graduation. But it’s reserved for big moments in our lives, not for everyday existence. There is always something to do, something to get out of the way before we can relax and be Joy-full.
What if we decided to turn that all around and to seek Joy FIRST? What if, right now, today, you decide that Joy comes first and then you’ll face everything else? Do you think that you can do that?
If Joy is a decision, if Joy is something that you go inside to find, then why put off that search? What if, at this moment, you gave yourself permission to pause, to take a couple of deep breaths, to go inside no matter what is happening around you or what you have to face today, and you asked to connect to your inner Joy, even if only for a few minutes? Why not try that right now?
It might be easier if you think of someone or something that brings you Joy and makes you smile, but it’s not difficult to find a moment of Joy inside. And once you have touched it, bring that outside with you and look through the lens of Joy at what is going on, at what you must do today.
No matter what is happening, or how people are behaving around you, Joy is within you. You ARE connected to Source, whether you are remembering that at the moment or not. You can be busy and still have Joy inside you. You can be happy and still have Joy inside you. And you can be sad or upset and still have Joy inside you.
Too often we think that life must be a bowl of cherries all the time so that we can smile. I’ve had people comment to me that we don’t understand because our lives are so great. Yes, I have many blessings in my life but I’ve also had heartaches and problems. I just have chosen to define myself and my life by what is good about it. I have chosen to meditate, to tap into something greater than myself so that my perspective comes from the ‘meta’ level, above the strife of everyday life. I see the patterns unfolding and I trust that the Universe has a Plan and that the Plan is unfolding as it must. And I remind myself that Joy comes from within.
You can reach that Joy no matter what your life looks like at the moment. You are a timeless, spiritual being having a physical lifetime on Planet Earth so that you can learn lessons. Some of those lessons are not as much fun to learn as others. These lessons are a part of living a human life. But there is always Joy within you. There is always the spirit of the Inner You who remembers the connection to Source and to the Joy within.
Reach inside and remember Joy today!
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Mystic Messages 
MUSE-INGS: Empowerment and Change
June 29, 2010 — RosemaryChange. The word keeps popping up, it seems. And some of us really don’t want any changes while some of us want everything to change. How do you feel at this moment? Is there something you would really like to change but don’t know how? Or do you feel that you can’t, for whatever reason, make the change you desire because of repercussions or what other people will do/say?
Let’s agree that if we want to change we will figure out a way to do so. For example, if you are wanting to change the way you eat but you have a family with whom you eat meals at home, what are you doing about your desire to eat differently? If you don’t do it, then ask yourself if you are giving your power away. If you really want to change, you can find a way to modify the food served so that everyone can be happy. What else do you want to change that would only require a small shift in your thinking in order to facilitate that change? Maybe the only shift is from “I can’t” to ‘How can I?”
When we are told that there is energy of change around us and we will be supported, then this is a good time to examine our lives in depth and honesty to determine what we wish were different. I know the things I would like to do differently but maybe I use the other members of the household as an excuse to avoid making changes. Do I really want to change or do I think I ‘should’ change? That’s a good question to ponder, for if I really wanted to change maybe I would have done so already. And if there is something I want to change I can go ahead and do it, when I am feeling personally empowered.
It all comes down to where my personal power resides. Do I reach inside and tap into my own inner power or am I /have I given away my power to someone external to myself and I am allowing that to determine my current direction?
Once I have examined these questions I can make a conscious decision about how to move forward. It seems to me that the times are coming when each of us must stand on our own while remaining connected to all others. This is a skill that too many of us have not yet developed. What is in my own highest good while I am considering the highest good of all? This represents a delicate balance but awareness starts with self-awareness. And self-awareness starts with self-observation. Until we can learn to become dispassionate, nonjudgmental observers of ourselves, we cannot claim our own power and change ourselves and our lives. The first change we must make is to observe without judgment and make our choices in that context.
And we must also learn that introspection is a good practice to cultivate. Go inside and become acquainted with your inner, authentic self. Are you pleasing others by ignoring how you really feel? Are you operating under the influence of decisions made in your childhood? What motivates you? Are you constantly aware of parts of yourself that you are denying or are you accepting of yourself in your totality?
Practice asking yourself if what you are observing is real. Is this true? You might surprise yourself with your answers. Learn how to get in touch with what is real for you in any given moment. If you need help doing this, then work with a nonjudgmental counselor who will help you find the ‘you’ behind the mask.
As we approach change, in our own lives and in the Planet, we must be careful to be authentic and honest with ourselves. The time is now to do the inner work and to find our own inner power. Empowered individuals can revolutionize the world.
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