Reflections on My Journey to Rediscover Joy

My Discoveries along my Journey to Rediscover Joy. 

So its been 21 days of integrating and aligning myself to Joy on a daily basis, 

The Process: - This has involved learning and reciting the poem 'JOY CHOSE YOU' by Donna Ashworth every day and then putting pen to paper to see what words come. Along with, each day identifying 3 moments that brought me joy. I call this "Daily Joy'. 

Why 21 days?....There is a wide held belief that it takes 21 days to form a new habit in our lives, And I have generally found, when relocating elsewhere in the world, it usually takes me three weeks to fully land and be integrated into my new environment.  But the more I do research into this, I discover that its actually a bit of myth. Apparently, according to Philip Lally at the University College London, 'a new habit takes a little more than 2 month, 66 days to be exact, and as much as 254 days until ts fully formed". So it seems my journey to Rediscover Joy may not be quite over yet!

I have however, loved the journey. It's been so revealing and so uplifting and I have discovered much along the way. Such as: -

- Joy is always and has always been present in my life, I just need to notice her! By clocking those little moments within my days which being me a feeling of joy. 

- The power of our intention and will to enable us to feel joy at any given moment. I know now that though various different techniques I can bring in a feeling of joy into my being. I just need to choose to do it and then actually do it!

- How just thinking of someone I care about or think fondly of, can bring in feelings of joy. 

- How reflecting and recording my daly joy, increases the amount of joy I experience, as I experience it twice over.

- How sharing our joy can bring joy, both to the sharer and the receiver, My daughter has felt joy at my moments of joy and vice versa. 

- 'The Joy Frequency': I've discovered that Joy has a specific frequency that when tuned into, by toning for example, the frequency of joy can be brought into the whole body, so that it vibrates with the frequency of joy I have found this particularly effective in the shower. Water being one of the best conductors of energy and also knowing that it is imbuing the water with this frequency, sending out the frequency of Joy into the world. 

- The Power of the Smile: how by bringing a smile upon our face, bringing our awareness to it, and directing the energy imprint inwards, can instil a sense of joy within. 

- A feeling that aligning ourselves with the frequency of joy is going to become a vital survival tool in a rapidly changing and chaotic world and how by aligning ourselves to it, we not only lift ourselves up, we lift the whole world up, and by doing so, begin to create the world vibrationally that we want to live in.  

 - Joy is an essential daily emotion that I believe, is absolutely necessary in our current path of human evolution. For through Joy, we will begin to change the world from the inside out. 

So, my journey with Joy will continue, hopefully for the rest of my life. 

  #I Choose Joy

- 

 Day 21: Daily Joy

On my last and final day of integrating and aligning myself, to Joy My moments of joy again surpassed three!! A good sign!

1. Sitting on a washed up hunk of a tree in the sunshine watching the sea.
2. Eating a whole punnet of raspberries in the sun and dreaming of warm days to come,
3. Seeing newborn lambs springing across the field.
4. My mum arriving with flowers.
5. My daughter's enthusiasm to share her moments of joy with me before I'd even asked. I love that!

Daily Joy Writings: Day 21 My last Day

 Day 21: My last and final day. 

Joy has been my teacher

My trusted friend

a companion, on my journey 

revealing to me 

That through Joy

we get to lift the whole world up

Just a notch

But enough, to see us though 

The doorway, that's cracked open

Wide enough to glimpse

What's beyond. 

An invitation 

to slip though, to begin 

Anew. 

To live as fully

And as vibrantly 

As you. 

To those of us who have 

Been living only

Half a life

I stretch this hand 

for you to reach out to

A whisper on my lips

Joy Chose You. 

It is with deep gratitude to Donna Ashworth and her poem 'JOY CHOSE YOU' that sparked my curiosity into Joy and thus began my journey to rediscover her. Many thanks for your inspiration. 

Daily Joy: Day 20

 Day 20: Daily Joy.

My second day of feeling completely lousy and unwell. Yet  totally amazed that Joy can still be found. 

The fact it is Imbolc is joy in itself, knowing the earth is awakening, the birds are singing, despite the cold iron grey sky, Spring is a-coming. I almost want to bow down to the earth. 

Today my small moments of joy surprisingly surpassed three. 

1. The daffodils on the lawn finally opening.

2. A pinky orange sun rising out of the sea.

3. Listening to my daughter sing quietly in a made up foreign language.

4. Seeing the new fresh green of the beginnings of cow parsley.

5. Hearing evening bird song mixed with the sound of crashing waves rolling through the mist in the woods. 

6.  My puppy experiencing a warm shower for the first time after rolling in fox poo, and my delight when she realised the experience of warm water was pleasurable. 

7. My daughters joy at my sharing my above joy and her thought of her getting to wash the puppy next time.  

Daily Joy Writings ; Day 20

Day 20. Daily Joy Writings 

'Joy Awakening'

So... its seems

Joy has been tucked away 

In that hard to reach place, 

out of harms way,

Kept safe in the darkness

Until that day

The all clear was given.

when I can reach in,

and behind 

And coax her back out.

Stretching herself 

Like an awakening cat 

Stretching herself up and out

Filling the spaces

Where blood meets bone

And all the gaps in-between 

That have been quietly waiting 

For the light to flood in 

Each cell vibrating 

Like a song on the lips

Like a sway of the hips

Joy is awakening 

Taking her rightful place 

That space, deep within 

That has been quietly, silently, patiently, 

Waiting.  To welcome Joy. 

To welcome her 

Back in. 

Daily Joy: Day 19

 Day 19: Daily Joy

I had to really dig deep today to end my 3 daily moments of Joy, for  realise feeling unwell hinders ones ability to feel joy, but still, those little moments are there... If you look hard enough....

1. Toning the Joy frequency to begin my day. 

2. Hearing my daughter share with me her three moments of joy, making me realise how others peoples joy can bring me joy.

3. The thought of being able to go back to and snuggle up bed after an afternoon out in the cold. 

Daily Joy Writings Day 19

Daily Joy Writings Day 19 

A struggle to find joy day

A tough day

A feeling lousy day

 A dig deeper, pull out all the stops day

To try and find 

A single, joyous moment 

amongst the flotsam.

To hold onto

Like my life 

Depended on it.

For I feel the claws

Of darkness, grip on.

That familiar downward pull

into fathomless depths.

But even as I feel this. 

I know this.

I know that joy is there

Like the sun 

Behind a blanket of thick grey cloud

Burning through holes

every now and then

To peep out

Reminding me 

This too shall pass. 

Daily Joy: Day 18

Day 18 Daily Joy

My 3 moments of Joy today were:

1. The Sun!!! it had warmth! Awakening from a deep winters sleep.
2. A Golden sea
3. Toning the Joy frequency and bringing it into my whole being

Daily Joy Writings Day 18

 'Awakening Joy'

Who would have thought, that
This journey I've been on,
Has been directing me all this time
To a little known place,
A dark little cave,
At the back of my heart.

To discover Joy here,
Unconsciously tucked away.
That part of me
That experiences joy
Wholeheartedly.
That fun exuberant part
Of my soul
That I must have tucked away
For safe keeping,
Out of the cold harsh wind
Of ill tended words.
Out of the need for survival.

As I rediscover her
Brushing away the layers of hurt
That shroud her in thick cobwebs
That have protected her
All this time,

The heart bravely stepping forward
To field her from all, that tried
To keep her down,
keep her small
And keep her with all she's endured
That filled her up,

So that
No room remained to thrive, to grow.
To dance, to sing.
So she lay there, forgotten.
Until now.
I've refound her, reclaimed her.
Inviting her upwards
To awaken, to grow
Through the roof of her cave
to where the light awaits
Her.