Perhaps it seems strange to talk about joy when there’s so much violence and heartbreak in the world but I’d argue joy is even more important in times like these. When we are in joy, we can approach situations from a different perspective.
It reminds me of a Rumi quote I love, “Move, but don’t move the way fear makes you move.” When things are scary, overwhelming, and frankly traumatic, we act one way. When we are resourced, we act another way. I say this from experience. I’ve let fear motivate me and have made decisions from a fear-based state. I’m not judging myself for it — it makes sense because fear is like an alarm bell and I was doing whatever I could to turn it off.
From a fear-based place, I might take on a content writing job just for the money. Or I might say yes to a therapist looking for writing help even though I don’t think we’re a good fit. But, historically, moving the way fear makes me move so often put me out of the frying pan and into the fire. My fear-based decisions didn’t improve my situations and sometimes made them worse.
For instance, years ago the fabulous cottage I escaped to after high-tailing out of a crappy situation turned out to be not so fabulous because it lacked any insulation. I froze during the winter and melted during the summer. Making decisions out of fear doesn’t really work out for me. Instead, I’m learning to move the way trust makes me move. And I’m learning to move the way joy makes me move.
What sort of decisions do I make believing things will work out? That the universe has my back? How do I behave if I honestly believe whatever needs to come will come and whatever needs to go will go? What do I do when I believe I’m meant to be happy and joyful?
When I’m in that place, I’m more thoughtful, considerate, and curious. I believe in the magic and the mystery of the universe and know beautiful things can come out of the blue. I know I’ll receive a random email or telephone call from someone looking for a ghostwriter for therapists. Or a small business that wants a content writer. (Maybe that’s you! If so, contact me!)
Tosha Silver writes in her book Outrageous Openness if you think of the Divine as your ultimate protection and your Source for everything, “Then the Universe can use anything it wishes to meet your needs. You’re no longer limited to what your conditioned mind thinks is possible.” She has countless stories of this happening in her life and in the lives of others. For instance, she found an apartment through a hairdresser and someone else found a literary agent by bowling them over in a yoga class. Fear leads us to believe we have to force things; we have to make them happen. Trust shows us we can relax and be shown the next steps on our path. In other words, trust shows us how to move differently.
How would you act if you moved from a place of trust and joy? What would be different in your life or your business? Would sharing your wisdom with the world bring you joy? Would you like to reach people you otherwise wouldn’t reach on your own? If so, contact me about working together. I’d love to hear from you.