Friday, September 25, 2015

10 Ways to Bring More Joy into Your Life

There are Oracle Decks that I use for readings, and others that I turn to for inspiration and healing. Stewart Pearce’s beautiful Angels of Atlantis deck falls into the second category. The messages are inspired by Archangels like Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel - who I know from psychic school. Stewart tells us they have a connection to Atlantis, too. Not to digress, the broad themes involve feelings like joy, healing, peace, and abundance. I like to use these cards as meditative prompts and this Tuesday, they were also the source of inspiration for my weekly radio show. I wasn’t sure what to talk about and I pulled a card for inspiration: Joy. 


The result was a list of ten simple things that we can all do to bring more joy into our lives. Joy is said to be the purest and highest emotion, for some, even higher than the energy of love. 

Here are ten simple ways to bring joy into your life:

Smile More Often.  When you smile, the world smiles back. The benefit is two-fold: being surrounded by friendly faces has been proven to affect our brain in a good way. And smiling often also fools our brain into thinking we are happy, releasing feel good chemicals that help us feel happy. Note: I’m not sure of the science behind this but based on personal experience, smiling makes me happy.

Get Some Exercise. Go for a jog, dance a little salsa or run up the stairs if that’s all you have time for. Working out is a great way to release stress. It also helps us feel better, releasing endorphins that make us happy. And to quote Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde, “Happy people don’t kill their husbands”

Meditate. I started meditating on joy, peace and happiness after reading a book called The Essential Dalai Lama. Close your eyes for a minute, listen to your breath and picture gold or yellow light around you. I also like to call on Archangel Jophiel for help. Jophiel can help us change our outlook so that it is more optimistic. He’s one of my favorite angels and I feel his energy as yellow.

Count Your Blessings. Sometimes things go wrong and that’s all there is to it. But even when it feels like we are starring in a tragic-comedy, we can still cheer ourselves up by turning our attention to the things we have to be grateful for. Volunteering can make these blessings very obvious too. If you’re reading this online, someone in the world is getting by with less than what you or I have.

Let Things Slide. We all have our buttons and they get pushed. What bothers me may not bother you, and vice versa. The next time someone says or does something that rubs you the wrong way, consider giving them the benefit of the doubt. Look inward for any triggers that may need to be healed. That said, I wouldn’t discount the importance of self-respect, so drawing a line is important.

Switch Off Your Phone and sit in nature for a while. Or hangout with friends. Act like it’s the 80’s and your troubles and to-do-lists are not in your pocket.

Be Yourself. Living up to expectations doesn’t feel good, whether those expectations are real or self-imposed. Don’t apologize for who you are, what you do, or who you love. Be yourself and let the right people find you. You can heal your sense-of-self and shine bright by focusing on the Chakras, especially the Solar Plexus, and by grounding yourself in love (Read my Book!). 

Put the Past Behind You.  Life is full of ups and downs as well as plenty of life stages that eventually come to an end. It can be tempting to look back to the past with nostalgia, especially if we have been through a difficult ending. But we can only find joy if we appreciate the present and embrace the future.

Be Willing to Forgive. It will give you peace of mind. It is said that holding a grudge is like letting someone live rent-free in your head. When we forgive we give ourselves a break, whether or not we also give second or third chances.

Enjoy the Moment. One of my favorite books is A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. It tells us that when we are faced with a tough situation that can't be changed, we can make the conscious choice to tolerate it until it passes. The next best thing is to enjoy yourself, after all, even rough patches have good times. And when things are going great appreciate your good luck and en-joy yourself!


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Manifesting Tip! The happier we feel, the easier it is for us to create situations that we want to experience. Listening to songs that put us in a good mood is a great shortcut (though it always helps to heal yourself, too). Read This to Manifest with MUSIC! 



Finally, that clip from Legally Blond.







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Regina Chouza is an Energy Healer, Angel Medium and author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. She studied angels, tarot and astrology at The College of Psychic Studies in London, and qualified as an Energy Healer at the School of Intuition & Healing UK. Blogging since 2010, Regina's passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. 




Image: canva.com (updated 2023)

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