Joy…Connect With Yours

Joy, the boundless energy and beauty found within you. It is already part of your DNA…think back to when you were a child and the things that made you laugh and feel happy. What were they? This is where you will find your answers.

For me, I remember running around with my siblings in our backyard playing all kinds of games like hide-and-go-seek, red light, green light, hopscotch, kickball, catching fireflies, you name it…

Then, there were creative endeavors of all kinds. You see, Dad was a gifted artist -cartoonist, illustrator and calligrapher so I always loved to draw and create. Mom and I would make little cut-out dolls and then draw clothing for them. I could cook in my Easy Bake oven, make fun images on my Etch-A-Sketch or Lite-Brite. I also loved writing in my diary.

There were maternal endeavors, I had tons of little dolls (Baby Raggedy Ann & Andy, Mr. & Mrs. Poppin Fresh and many others) that I would have an imaginary world with and at night, I would put them in tissue boxes and cover them with tissues, so they did not get cold. While I had a vivid imagination, the maternal instincts were even more obvious with a life like doll I had called, “Baby Alive”. It had a mouth that moved when you fed it food or gave it its bottle. I progressed to mother live things such as sea monkeys, all kinds of pets and eventually my beloved puppy, Lady. Mom would have a baby late in life (my baby brother Louis is 7 years my junior) and he was my favorite of all since he was my true-life baby!

Then there were holidays that brought joy: Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and Halloween. These brought joy for different reasons. Christmas is still my favorite. I think it personifies joy –all aspects of it –the true spiritual meaning for me -the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and all the joyful songs sang in Church during this season. But, the commercial aspect is wonderful in its own right…holiday decorations, Christmas trees, gift giving, the delicious food and the overall good spirit. Sometimes when we were lucky, we had a white Christmas which was the most beautiful of all to me. There was a blanket of snow covering everything.

There were always people who brought me joy –my family, my close friends, inspirational teachers at school.

There were activities – I loved being active – swimming with other kids, riding waves at the beach, writing in the sand, running, riding my bike and in the cold weather, playing in the snow. Taking classes at the gym. My favorite classes were anything to do with dance. I felt so alive and something in my spirit just lit up.

Fast forward to adult life and I see all my joys truly are the same as those of my childhood. That is why it is so important for you to remember those, recreate them, make them part of your life. Start writing them down and you will see what activities you may want to add to your life.

Today, dancing is still one of my favorite things to do that summons joy. I could be dancing around my house listening to a great song (“Uptown Funk” Bruno Mars) or having a collective dance in a Zumba class with others. On a deeper level, mix several joys and BAM, that is truly powerful.

Capri, Italy

For instance, Italy is one of my favorite places in the world. In Capri there was a wonderful club that played Neopolitan guitar music. You could grab a tambourine and play along (as you can see I happily did in the picture here). Dancing on tables was encouraged (and no, I did not speak Italian at the time and I also did not drink at the time).

These are all natural “highs”.

Other joyful things that fill my heart to overflow have always been playing with my nieces and nephews. Kids always light me up. They are joy incarnate and playing with them in their world of wonder is one of my greatest joys.

So, you see, nothing has changed from my childhood loves. I still cook but instead of with an Easy Bake oven or watching great cooks in the family, now I get to create wonderful meals. I love pouring a glass of wine, putting on some music and preparing a delicious dinner for family or friends.

I still love stuffed animals, playing in the snow and Christmas is still my favorite Holiday.

I go all out creating themes in my home so that it is an ultimate winter wonderland for my family and friends that are here during the holidays.

Find your joy, reignite some of the ones that have always been within you and watch how much better that makes your days.

Stay blessed!