By Nancy Rynes, author of Awakenings from the Light
(Continued from "Joy and Happiness")
Last time I gave you some of my thoughts on joy and happiness. What are these concepts, and how can we begin to bring more of them into our lives?
My definition of joy might be different from yours. Words themselves can be awkward representations of such big concepts as these. What I mean by "joy" isn't simply an extreme state of happiness or excitement. For me, it's a serene, calm, contended state of deep "presence" in the now moment. Being fully present without judgement and without attachment, but with a deep sense of peace, love, and gratitude for what is, right now.
For me, living in a state of joy is peaceful, drama-free, contented, in-the-flow, loving, grateful, and knowing that all is right and as it should be.
It's walking in concert with Spirit, every day, as much as possible.
How can someone achieve this state, though? Is it even possible in the modern world?
In my last post, I suggested one way to start: by knowing and living your truth. But what does this mean, exactly?
Knowing your truth means taking time to pay attention and develop a deeper understanding of who you are and what makes you tick. For example, if one of your core truths is that you're energized by connecting with other people, taking a job where you're isolated most of the time will probably drain your energy and cause you to feel loneliness. In another example, if one of your core values is non-violence, working for a company making weaponized drones would not be a good choice for you.
Give yourself the best gift ever: get to know who you really are. This is an exciting voyage of self-discovery that can last a lifetime. Try something new or different. Pay attention to how it feels. Are you energized by it, or does it make you feel exhausted, anxious, and drained? Feelings can play a vital role in this process of self-discovery but you have to be willing to dive into them and see what might be lurking below the surface.
What do I mean by that? Well, our first flash of a feeling might simply be an old fear talking and not the voice of your core self. For example, my first time speaking to an audience larger than 100 people was in Vail, Colorado. That itself wasn't a big deal. What was a big deal was that another speaker on the panel was Dr. Eben Alexander, a New York Times bestselling author and a huge presence in the consciousness and NDE communities. He was someone I deeply respected. And he was sitting right next to me. No, no pressure there.
While I felt excitement to speak to this group about my NDE, I admit that my knees were literally knocking together with stage fright because I felt a bit intimidated by the Big Name Author sitting next to me. But I soon realized that stage fright was simply human fear raising crying out...the fear that I would humiliate myself in front of someone I respected. But my core self felt energized and excited to share my story and possibly help other people by sharing my experience, and that energy and excitement was too powerful and positive for the fear to take root.
I continue to honor that core truth by speaking or giving in-person workshops whenever I can. Doing these things simply feels right, like I am doing what I came here to do. So I get a little stage fright once in a while -- so what? It keeps me human and humble.
The point is that getting to know yourself and honoring your core truths will probably help you feel better about yourself and your life. Get to know who you are and what makes you tick, then honor that by living your truths as much as possible. This is one of the best ways that you can begin to walk the path toward living in a state of peace and joy.
A second way is learning to live more from a state of love and less from fear. I discuss this in depth in my book Awakenings from the Light, so I won't repeat it here. But learning how to live in a more love-filled state every day can completely change your life. When you learn to let go of fear and trust in love, the whole universe opens up to you.
The Navajo have a word that fits what I'm trying to express: Beauty. To the Navajo, Beauty isn't just a word that describes how pretty someone or something is on the outside. Wrapped up inside "Beauty" are concepts such as rightness, peace, harmony, divinity, and "all is as it should be." This is what I'm talking about: living in a state of beauty, peace, or harmony every day, as much as possible.
As with many things, living in love and joy is a practice that can last your lifetime. There is no specific destination, just ever more chances to deepen your connection to others, and to your amazing, expansive self.
I wish you heavenly (and earthly) love.
Blessings,
Nancy
*Note: this article is written for folks whose mental and emotional health is relatively "normal". In other words, you're not struggling with depression, anxiety, cognitive challenges, brain injuries, etc. For those who are, you may find some words of wisdom here but this post and my training is deep enough to address your very real challenges. Please seek the advice of an appropriate professional
Stuff You Might Have Missed
Archive: Past Newsletter Issues
Article: Lives Changed by NDEs (Boulder Daily Camera)
Article: Awakening to Life (Pages 6-10, Journal of Exceptional Experiences and Psychology, Summer 2016)
Article: The Meaning of Life
Article: The Things I Learned from Dying
Bio: Nancy Rynes is a speaker, artist, and author of "Awakenings from the Light" (available from Amazon.com). Nancy's books and workshops teach you how to bring a little bit of Heaven to your life on Earth. She divides her time between Seattle, Washington and Tucson, AZ. Check out her website at NancyRynes.com
Copyright © 2018 Nancy Rynes, All rights reserved.
