{"id":58,"date":"2013-10-07T03:18:30","date_gmt":"2013-10-07T03:18:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/heartofthesoul\/?p=58"},"modified":"2013-10-07T03:18:30","modified_gmt":"2013-10-07T03:18:30","slug":"3-ways-to-invite-more-joy-into-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/heartofthesoul\/2013\/10\/3-ways-to-invite-more-joy-into-your-life.html","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways to Invite More Joy into Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jodi<\/a>I just did something that I wouldn\u2019t normally do: I cued up one of my favorite songs, set it to repeat, and had a dance party. <\/strong>I danced around my office. I sang my heart out. I jumped around and waved my arms and hopped around the room. It was wonderful. It was freeing. It was absolutely magnificent.<\/p>\n

So what inspired me to rock out? I heard my soul whisper to me that it might be fun. I heard my soul tell me that everything would still get done. I heard my soul ask me to just try adding more joy into my life \u2013 just to see how it felt.<\/p>\n

Like many of us, my default setting seems to be permanently set to being efficient with my time and working a lot and helping others and then working some more and then taking care of my loved ones and then maybe (and it\u2019s a bit fat maybe) if (and it\u2019s a big fat if) there\u2019s time left over, I can take care of myself and possibly add some joy into my life.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have a feeling this might sound familiar to you. So many of us know how to have fun (I promise I do!), but we are so used to pushing our joy aside.<\/p>\n

Dancing around the room helped me see that inviting joy into our lives really doesn\u2019t have to be a huge deal.<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t have to include a complete life overhaul. It can be just a few minutes of singing or dancing or doing anything at all that we feel is fun. Not for the sake of making progress or making money or making someone else happy. Just for the sake of feeling alive \u2013 feeling in our body \u2013 feeling free.\u00a0And in that moment of freedom while I was dancing just now, I remembered that this whole joy thing definitely isn’t overrated. It is actually essential.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re ready to invite more joy into your life as well, here are a few reminders to get you started:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Remember that you are worthy of feeling joy.<\/strong> This is a big one, and it really starts with believing this at your core. Know that having fun and feeling completely alive is your birthright. And then allow yourself to experience it.<\/li>\n
  2. Remember that inviting joy into your life doesn\u2019t have to be a big deal.<\/strong> It can mean that you take five minutes out of your day to sing and dance (like I just did). It doesn\u2019t require rearranging your already busy schedule. It just means that you\u2019re consciously inviting it in and creating mini pockets in your day to experience it.<\/li>\n
  3. Remember that you feel joy differently than someone else feels it.<\/strong> What this means is that you may feel joy in a boisterous, laughing-out-out kind of way or you may feel it in a quiet, inner peace kind of way. And they are both okay \u2013 neither is better than the other. You will know joy when you feel it \u2013 loud or quiet, it will bring you peace and freedom and a sense of aliveness. And that\u2019s pretty wonderful.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I\u2019m coming to realize that joy is one of the first emotions and expressions and feelings that I let go of when I feel busy and stressed and overwhelmed.<\/strong> And I\u2019m also coming to realize that it\u2019s the first emotion that I would like to invite back into my life. Because what is the point of all of the busyness and all of the success if we aren\u2019t able to enjoy it? What\u2019s the point of our life if we are too stressed to stop and really take in all of the good?<\/p>\n

    I’m starting to really get it: joy is essential. Really essential. Not just something I talk about and write about, but something that I actually experience fully – at the gut level. It’s truly a non-negotiable experience.<\/p>\n

    I invite each of us to consciously invite joy in.<\/strong> I promise there\u2019s plenty of space for it. And I also promise that you\u2019ll feel pretty amazing once you do.<\/p>\n

    Hugs,<\/p>\n

    Jodi<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"about
    \n<\/a>Jodi Chapman is a bestselling author, an award-winning blogger, and a soulful community builder.\u00a0She lives her life with love and faith in the driver\u2019s seat, and she hopes to leave a trail of inspiration wherever she goes. She believes that we each have the ability to hear our soul\u2019s whisper and create our best lives. She would love to connect with you!<\/p>\n

    Website<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Joy Ecourse<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u2665 \u00a0\u00a0Free Ebook<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I just did something that I wouldn\u2019t normally do: I cued up one of my favorite songs, set it to repeat, and had a dance party. I danced around my office. I sang my heart out. I jumped around and waved my arms and hopped around the room. It was wonderful. It was freeing. 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They share their lives with three wonderful cats: Biddle, Buncom, and Elsie. She would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter! And you can also join her Soul Speak community: www.jodichapman.com. 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