THE ADVENT SEASON: Week 4 – Joy
a metaphysical interpretation of Christmas
Faith, Peace, Love, Joy
Joy is your natural state
The important thing to remember about JOY is that it is your natural state. JOY is not something that we experience in response to some circumstance. Joy is the natural outpouring of divine love from your own heart. As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus, we also rejoice at the birth of the “divine presence” in our own hearts. And that is something to jump in the air about.
What about the bad days?
People often ask, “How can I believe that joy is my natural state when I just lost my job, my wife’s cheating on me, my truck broke down, and my dog ran away?”
Daily gratitude process
First, understand that, as Jenn Sincero says in YOU ARE A BADASS, gratitude is the key to joy. Begin the habit of daily giving thanks for everything in your life. Pay attention to all the details: your home, your car, your city, your neighbors, your coworkers, your clients, your dog, your family, your friends, your boss. Surely, on every day, there is a long list of things to be thankful for. Sincero explains it this way:
“When you are consistently in a state of gratitude, and aware of all the awesomeness that already exists, it, among many other things, makes it much easier for you to believe that there’s more awesomeness where that came from, and that this yet-to-be-manifested awesomeness is also available to you. You’ve received awesomeness before, so of course, you can receive awesomeness again.”
That’s an important key to experiencing joy daily.
“This is good because.”
If you still need help with those bad days, try this idea, also from Jenn Sincero: “Whenever anything excellent or mediocre or lame or annoying happens to you, meet it with the statement: THIS IS GOOD BECAUSE…..and fill in the blank”
This approach enables you to develop the skill of “looking on the bright side.” For example, you are delayed in traffic trying to get your son to basketball. It’s annoying, but during that extra time together you learn that he’s being bullied at school. And that is why the situation is good!
Use this technique with everything that happens every day and you’ll soon be expressing even more gratitude and feeling lots of joy. The trick is to make this idea a habit; to do it many times everyday. This discipline slowly begins to shift your attitude toward the bright side all the time. And read YOU ARE A BADASS by Jenn Sincero.
==========================================
Bill Babin
is available to speak / teach / consult at your
ministry / martial arts academy / convention / event
602.692.3723 bill@billbabin.com
