Who do you think you are? Once upon a time… in everyone’s life, we were a “little bundle of joy.” We come into the world with our joy. Everyone has a never-ending supply.
I believe joy is our true nature. It is a pure, positive and powerful force that sits at our centre, like a deep well, just waiting for us to discover it.
I was a high energy, extroverted child and when my joy bubbled up and escaped I was often told to “settle down.” I am sure it was meant for my “own good”; however, that double-edged message became a theme and the plot of my “who do you think you are” story.
It is important to know that we contain our joy because life is full of hurry, worry and fear, and we can easily get wrapped up in the drama of that energy.
Often, it’s toxic and as we absorb it, it becomes part of our story.
By the time we are adults, our inner joy can be buried under heaps of cultural beliefs and layers of negativity, because that is how many of us were raised and continue to focus.
A part of me shrank and remained hidden. I call this “the small you.”
The “small you” story is the one we tell most often, to our selves and others. It is the cause of many of our problems and until we shift our beliefs about ourselves or others, this story can keep us stuck and smaller than we really are.
It’s a very common story. When I ask my clients to rate their level of happiness on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest, they rate “small you living” a four or five.
We love stories. We weave them into our lives. It’s my client’s “small you” story I hear first. It’s the “small me” story I take to my life coach.
In my years of coaching I have come to know that everyone can feel the expanded, number ten version of themselves calling and leading them into a new, more joyful life story.
We may not trust the feeling or have the language to describe it, but intuitively we know we must pay attention.
Step one is to remember that your joy is in you at all times. It has been with you since birth. Nothing brings it to you — it’s yours to tap into. It is you.
Step two is to recognize and feel your joy. It is an expression of love. Its energy gives and receives openly and completely. Joy flows out of you.
Step three is to listen to your joy. Slow down to hear its message, because it can be a whisper. Allow it to guide you. Joy is the key and the power to create your “happily ever after” story.
Can you imagine what our world would be like if we focused on our inner joy instead of our fear?
If you want to tap into your inner joy and create a new life story, call me.
Pauline Daniel is a certified life coach and owner of Coaching Connections in Nelson. She specializes in working with women and can be reached at coachingconnections.ca or pauline@coaching connections.ca. You can also contact her directly at 250-505-5491 to arrange a free 30 minute consultation.