How To Fight for Joy

Photo Credit:  Roberto Nickson

Is it just me or is there a full blown attack on joy? Sometimes it's blatant and obvious like a looming cloud there to greet you first thing in the morning, and other times it's more of a chipping away. Almost like a series of events that chip away at joy:

• Scrolling through a series of happy highlights and exciting events on social media at a time when you're feeling lonely, bored or stuck!
• Looking in the mirror and feeling less than excited with who is looking back at you
• Disappointments and Unmet desires
• Hormones (it's a real thing...)

I want you to know that you're not alone. It can most definitely feel that way when you're in the middle of this 'fight' but you are NOT alone. Also, you're not a victim; you don't have to throw up a white flag and allow these feelings to colour your whole day. I want to share my Top Tips in Fighting for Joy (these are not nice-sounding theories they are proven strategies that I use whenever my joy is being shaken...and honey they work! ).

" I Want Her Life"

Photo Credit: Atikh Bana 

Paris, France
We know Instagram is not real, we've heard the quote about comparing our behind the scenes with everyones highlight reel, but every now and then you may see something that makes you think "Nope, I'm pretty convince that her life is better than mine. And frankly I wish I was her". No? Just me?  [nervous laugh]

Freedom from Fear of Failure

I heard about this social experiment they did where they divided an art class in two. They told half the class that they would be graded on the quantity of pots that they could make and they told the second group that they would be graded on the quality of the pots they made. Funny thing is the most beautiful high quality pots came from the first group because they weren't concerned about meeting the 'quality standards' they were free to create, make mistakes and improve with every pot they made. This group quickly learnt new ways of how they could improve. Meanwhile, the second group worked tirelessly to make their first pot perfect and didn't get nearly as great results!

Isn't that wild? It makes sense though right? The fear of failure and the need for perfection will literally paralyze you.

"New Year…Same Old, Same Old!"

It's about this time of year, when the confetti has settled, the lines at the gym are winding down and it  could begin to feel...well...a lot like last year.  I believe we have the best of intentions at the start of the year! We  genuinely want to be the best version of ourselves, we want to experience our best year yet, we are tired of the 'same old, same old'. It's so easy to fall in to the trap of desiring external change while ignoring where the real change is actually needed: our mindset.

F E A R

*Sigh* Fear…
Fear is not foreign to any of us. For some it's a constant companion and for others it's a friend from the past who visits at the most inconvenient of times. There's a good fear that tells you..you're standing too close to the edge and you need to back up, and then there's the other fear, the one that tells you that you'll fail before you even get started.

I think we can both agree that FEAR is not your friend. It often holds you back and paralyzes you and it can often leave you feeling stuck. It's like a giant wall that reads "You Can't Do It. Don't Even Try". The crazy thing is fear is really 'self protection'. The tall walls of fear that keep you confined actually make you feel safe. It's comfortable; that's why they call it a 'comfort zone' and the second you try to step beyond the boundaries of what's comfortable fear will be there to greet you.

I want to share with you how I make fear work for me and how I keep fear in check so it's not ruling my life.

Perfectionism = Procrastination

Being Present & Stepping Out

Hello Beautiful people!

 There is so much I want to say about what I've been learning in and out of the 'classroom'. The decision to come to Australia is definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made...then again coming here wasn't exactly my idea. Here's what I'm learning and being challenged with in a nutshell:

  Being Present

Being fully present wherever I am. Not worrying about tomorrow, not being so focus on the "next thing" that I completely miss the now. There is so much joy and thanksgiving that comes out of being fully engaged in the moment.

WAITING.. YOUR LIFE AWAY

What are you waiting for? What are you constantly postponing or putting on hold for "someday"? One day it just hit me... I can waste every 'today' dreaming about "tomorrow". Two of my favourite preacher's Carl Lentz and Christine Caine both said something along the lines of "some people will neglect what's in their hand because they're trying to fulfill what's in their heart". In other words, you might not be able to wake up today and do everything you'd like to do but what CAN you do.