Do you feel joyful every day? If not, read on to find out how to create more joy in your life.
Have you ever been really excited about something or a purchase you made and when you shared it with someone they made you feel small? You may have just experienced a “joy snatcher”.
An interesting thing came up for while doing some journaling this week: Joy = Shame. I really had to think about that one. Did experiencing joy really equal shame to me? I started thinking about my younger years and if that could be true. I would say I could definitely think of a few occasions where people have peed on my parade but did I develop a program of Joy equaling shame from those events?
How I look at joy snatching is those people who, when you are very happy about something attempt to “take you down a notch”. They tell you that you have over spent, or that you should have waited to buy it on sale or that it is great but would be better if only it had this extra thing. You have to be realistic.
Joy Snatching of Your Dreams
Joy snatching often occurs when you share your dreams with someone. Perhaps you want to be on stage some day and you share this with a spouse or family member. Rather than receiving an expected compliment or encouragement for your lofty goal, you instead are greeted with something like “You? I don’t see you being on stage. You are much too shy. What makes you think anyone would want to listen to you?”
In that instant perhaps you muster up a false smile and think that they are right. You have been caught off guard. Yes you are shy, you muse to yourself. Then those negative thoughts creep back into your mind. What would you have to offer to a larger audience? In that moment your dreams can be set back weeks, months, or even years. What they are doing is taking away your Joy of the moment. Instead of supporting you they have eroded a piece of trust in yourself. The worst thing – you allowed their opinion to shape your next course of action (or inaction).
When you are tenderly trying to grow your dream be careful about whom you share your aspirations with. At most share only the minimum about what you are doing and only take advice from those who are already doing what you want to do. That is why you often need a coach or mentor that has already achieved what you want to keep you moving forward towards your goals.
Does Joy = Shame for You?
The whole aspect of Joy being equated to shame though…that goes deeper. It is one thing when someone just pees in your pool, but I think there is an entire other level of joy snatching – when something you want is equated to being a shameful thing. These are the types of things that get ingrained in us from a very young age.
Here are a few examples:
In the area of money, was having a lot of money viewed as a shameful thing by your family growing up? No? I invite you to think again and go deeper. This is one that shows up in many different ways. Think of these TV show titles; American Greed (indicating the quest for wealth is greedy), Secret Lives of the Super Rich (thus seeming to indicate that if you are very wealthy you lead a secret life), and The Filthy Rich Guide (indicating if you have money you are somehow dirty or received the money in less than honorable ways).
Equating cleanliness and honesty to those who are just getting by or only have a little money is a very common thread in American culture.
How To Create More Joy In Your Life
Gratefulness – I think we all know this at points in time, but here is your reminder for today.
Forgive – Every time you wince at something you said or did in the past, forgive yourself. Over and over.
Stay Present – When you are thinking about the past or fretting about something in the future it steals your joy from the present.
Embrace Nature – A tree does not struggle to be a tree. It just is. You are perfect, whole, and complete. Just as you are.
Dissolve Those Limiting Beliefs
Natalie Ledwell, personal development guru and bestselling author, wants to share her secrets to success with you in a free online training session. Not only will she shed light on how she overcame her financial struggles, but she will also teach you how you can do the same exact thing that she did.
You will even go through a guided exercise that will tap into your subconscious mind to dissolve any limiting beliefs you may have around money and prosperity.
Plus she’s bringing on the amazing Mary Morrissey to share her wisdom with you too!