Something I have learned along the way in this journey of life is that we are our own Joy Stealers. What I mean by that is our life experiences, what we’ve seen, heard, learned, etc. causes us to draw certain conclusions which in turn leads us to the outcomes. The other day I was listening to the audio book Stop Doing That Sh*t and there is some deep truth to what is said. The author Gary John Bishop breaks it down into 3 categories that we draw conclusions on:
- Ourselves
- Others
- Life
These conclusions are formed based on our life experiences and not always based on what we truly want. This was something that rang so true to me when I really sat and thought about it. How many times does the internal conversation sound something like this, “Who am I, and what makes me so special?” “Just who do I think I am? I can’t do that.” “Nobody has the time to help me or do they care.” “I just have to do it on my own.” “Well things are going so well, when is the other shoe going to drop?” “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.” Or how many times do you say or do the thing you just know is going to cause x, y, and z that doesn't usually end well?
We all have that internal dialog with ourselves about what we can/can’t do, say, think, accomplish, etc. I have found that more often than not, these really aren't things that lead us to success. It is usually counterproductive and takes us away from our dreams, goals, desires, happiness, love, and joy. It is a form of Joy stealing that we don’t usually think about as we tend to look outward for the reason something isn’t going/working the way we thought or even that it leads us to believe that maybe that thing just wasn’t for us.
At what point do we stop doing the sh*t that isn’t getting us to who or where we want to be in life? What point is it going to be enough and we decide to move past the patterns and behaviors in order to truly be and do all that we want? For me it is NOW! Today is the day I will hold myself accountable for rewiring that which leads me to kill and steal MY JOY. No one else has that control but me, and I choose to take it back.
I no longer choose to believe the other shoe will drop while it steals away the Joy of today, and instead I choose to believe that it is within me and my control to keep both shoes in the same place. That place is Joy, Happiness, Love, Light, Peace, Grace, Compassion, Kindness, and most importantly Gratitude. This doesn’t mean I live in a “Fantasy” world, it just means I no longer give my power to the subconscious mind that makes me go into old “auto pilot” mode which in turn leads to self destruction.
This isn’t to say either that I will not fall and have to pick myself up again. It means however that I again choose to get myself up, dust off, acknowledge what I need to, acknowledge what patterns and behaviors are no longer serving me, and most importantly KEEP GOING!! I will no longer let Joy be stolen from me by my own hands, I choose to hold it with gratitude, appreciation, and the knowing that I am worth it, I deserve it, and that it is my duty in this life to let my light shine in it’s unique ways as bright as it can be so that I may be a beacon of hope and light for others in the way that honors those bright lights placed along my path.
Today my wish for all of you is that you remember how worthy and deserving you are and to keep getting up and finding the Joy in this lifetime. Life is too short and isn’t worth living if you live it without the Joy you truly deserve and desire and in whatever way that looks like for you. Joy isn’t the same for everyone, and as long as it isn’t causing you or anyone else harm, then do whatever it is that brings more of it into your life!
Much Love & Light Always!