Today’s article is an example of how to balance ourself by allowing joy! To see the video of this personal growth adventure with Angelique and the hummingbird, click here (and subscribe to receive free, weekly inspirational videos).
Tasks vs. Joy.
Can we allow joy when our to-do list is long? Are we too sick or frustrated to experience joy? To explore these answers and allow more joy into our life, read on …
Do we focus on frustration?
Do we justify periods of frustration without joy? Maybe we have a hefty project to finish, so we focus solely on the project—while feeling frustration, not joy. Maybe we’re experiencing an illness, and we focus on our pain, suffering, and inability to “do” things—while feeling frustration, not joy. Maybe our partner is mentally unstable, and we focus on things we cannot change—while feeling frustration, not joy. The common denominator in these situations is that we are focusing on situations that generate a feeling of frustration within us, not joy.
We can’t stay frustrated forever.
When we focus solely on experiences that generate feelings of frustration, we are out of balance. Frustration bubbles and boils within us like a pot of boiling water with a lid and seeks escape. We cannot stay frustrated—it seeps out in anger that’s directed at ourself, others and life.
We have three choices.
When we’re frustrated, we have three choices. We can remain imbalanced, frustrated and harm ourself and/or others with stress, anger and irritation. We can add temporary balance by adding unhealthy pleasure while harming ourself and/or others. And/or, we can add consistent balance by allowing joy for ourself, which also gives “second-hand” joy to others.
Choice #1
Remain imbalanced and frustrated
The results of choosing to live an unbalanced, high-stress, anxious, driven life can be seen all around us. Results include but are not limited to: depression, violence, heart attacks, strokes, judgmental mindsets, fear, lack of connection to self, others and life/intuition and more.
Choice #2
Add temporary balance with temporary pleasures.
Frustration can drive us to seek temporary balance through pleasures like: alcohol, food, drugs, porn, gambling, shopping, etc. These pleasures provide temporary relief and release from the pressure of frustration. Pleasures salve situations, they don’t solve problems. In fact, temporary pleasures can cause problems for us in our relationships, job and health, long-term.
Choice #3
Add long-lasting balance through joy.
When we know how to add consistent, healthy joy to our life, we automatically come into balance. Joy is a real, long-lasting, vibrancy-adding, life-giving, stimulating experience within us that makes us feel happy and sexy (aka ALIVE). Joy has no harmful short or long-term side effects. Joy is experienced by allowing ourself to focus on, and immerse ourself within the beauty, awe, and natural occurrences in life. We can experience joy as the result of learning the art of intentional immersion … which we will explore in an upcoming blog post.
Frustration and joy coexist.
It is absolutely vital to our wellbeing, that we recognize that joy and frustration are simultaneously possible and real—and we can experience both. We already know how to immerse ourself in the experience of frustration, stress, tasks, drama, fear, control and to-do lists, to the point that we experience only that.
We can also learn to experience and immerse ourself in joy—even if only for moments at the start. For example, if we are working on a frustrating project, we can also experience joy by listening to good music. And while we are experiencing frustrating illness, we can also experience joy while watching a sunset. And while we are experiencing the frustrating decline of a partner and loss of a dream, we can also experience the joy of sharing simplicity together as a family.
Allowing joy can be difficult.
If we’ve judged or criticized that “joy impedes progress,” a “nose to the grindstone gets the job done,” or “a seven-minute lunchbreak is plenty,” we may have great difficulty putting down tasks long enough to experience joy without “achievement.” If this is us, we may even have convinced ourself that frustration is joy, and that we love to work—because it takes us away from the judgmental criticisms that echo in our mind when we are not working.
Joy cannot be purchased, won, earned or borrowed for a night.
We can have everything physical and experience a time of fleeting pleasure, yet not experience joy. Real joy, the kind that is both known and felt, cannot be taken away, lost or replaced.
We have a right to joy.
Each of us have the power and authority to grant ourself the right to experience joy. We simply need to experience our worthiness and give ourself permission. Until then, we may deny, block or blind ourself to joy—even when it is within reach and available to us.
Joy is a form of fearlessness.
After letting go of judgmental and unhealthy ideas about ourself, life and joy, we can feel safe and secure to experience it—without fear of our own criticism and judgment.
Experience joy in Nature!
By allowing ourself to experience joy in the freedom of nature, we provide ourself with the most basic type of compassionate, loving care. Time in nature allows us to see the beauty, the beasts, the buoyancy, the ballyhoo, the broadest of the spectrums of all that is … right in front, behind, beside and within us. Like the lessons we can learn from the hummingbird and its 360 degree flight, we can learn a lot about unwavering balance, ease of movement, and to simply lighten up and fly about, by simply experiencing and observing nature.
Will You?
No one can allow us to experience more joy. And no one can spend more time in nature for us! The more we choose to release judgments, criticisms and be with the obvious beauty in nature, the more health, ease and joy we’ll experience in ourself and life!
If you’d like a fresh perspective on your life which invites possibilities, hope, health and joy, explore how a package of conversations with Angelique can invigorate your growth!
Join us for a LIVE hike!
(Advance bookings are required, see below for details.)
Tuesdays: September 20, October 18 in Townsend, Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains
Revel in a full Day Hike & Dinner with Angelique!
This invigorating, moderate-level, wooded, trail walk through Cades Cove to Abrams waterfall is followed by a casual, 5-star supper on the patio of the Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro and Lodge in Townsend, TN. Overnight stays available. Click for details and book your tickets today!
Friday: September 2nd in Wausau, Wisconsin’s Rib Mountain
Delight in an Inspirational Chat and Sunset Hike with Angelique!
Experience a cozy nature talk with guided meditation. Open up to receive intuitive messages from nature. Take an awe-inspiring trek through monumental granite and quartzite boulders and enjoy a sunset view atop the observation tower! Click here for details.
Join us for a LIVE workshop near the ocean!
Friday October 28 Writer’s Workshop at the Pat Conroy Literary Center & Festival in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Workshop: Personal Growth Through Journaling: Invite Peace, Passion & Joy
What do we invite into our life? Let’s frolic in the creation of a fruitful, customized practice to observe and write in ways that welcome and celebrate opportunities for peace, passion and joy! Click for details and book your tickets today!
For the tour schedule, sign up to receive complementary email updates, or go to the tour page of our website. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Always with love,
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