coming into a place of JOY

You know how we all have "bathroom" books. Most people have funny joke books. Or magazines to sit and peruse while we do our bathroom "thing". I, on the other hand try to keep something that that will make me pause (while I am forced to pause by doing the bathroom thing...smile) and think about life, love and the pursuit of happiness.

One such book of mine is a little book called "The Way to Love" by Anthony de Mello. The book is a book of meditations. Mr. De Mello has since passed on but this book is such a wonderful little gem that I continually am amazed at how much I get out of it each and every time I pick it up. One line in particular jumped out at me today and it was this...

NOW is the time to see that absolutely nothing outside of you can bring you lasting joy.

Sure, there are fleeting moments of joy and bliss but at the end of the day, you are on your own baby and THAT is what this is all about. After my weekend I have been really aware of how much of what I need comes from inside....I have just been so caught up in finding my pleasure and joy through the interaction with others that I forgot. I forgot to enjoy ME. Just me exactly as I am. Doesn't matter if I am feeling in a bad mood. Doesn't matter if I am questionning EVERYTHING. Doesn't matter if I am doing something that I don't want to be doing. I just have to get to a point where I can find joy in everything within me....all of me. Not just when I am doing my favourite things. Not when I look in the mirror and say "Hey, you look great". All the time I need to find it possible to experience JOY and that is it.

We are all responsible for our own sense of joy and wonder...like little kids do. I was watching this little kid at the beach the other day and he was starting to whine about there be nothing to do. He had already wandered down to the water's edge and filled his bucket. That was fun for him. He then hauled it back up to where his Mom was sitting and poured it into the sand. That was fun. He then put the wet sand back into the bucket and turned it upside down so he made "something" That too was fun. But now what? He had done everything he thought he could do and now he wanted MOM to make something else fun for him. She had been trying to entertain him like we all do with 3 year olds but now she just said. Look around. Look at you. What do you WANT to do now because we are going to be here a bit longer. At first he cried (as we all do when faced with just our own devices) and then he spotted a seagull. Grin. LOTS of those around.

So he decided to chase one. Of course it flew away when he got too close. He stopped and watched it fly away. But then there was the next one and he did the same thing. It too flew away. Hmm, you could see his little brain working. Another one and then another one and before you knew it his MOM was having to haul him back since it was time to go. He had a great time and did it on his own. And this is what I am wanting to say here.

We have to come to the place within ourselves where we can make and experience our own joy regardless of what it is we THINK we need to be happy and joyful. Regardless of the fact that we might think we NEED someone or some thing else to make us happy.

I found that I would get so completely bored with myself if I didn't have all these plans set in stone and of course, if those same plans were changed I would get very anxious. So now, especially after the weekend, I am feeling much more in sync with me and my own process.

I had wanted to get a few more hours at the fitness facility and poof, someone called and asked I could take her shift. Not a lot of hours but the Universe responded. I wanted more clients and since yesterday, I got 3 people who are desirous of having sessions. Not the exact number that I projected out there but still the Universe responded. I thought I should be doing more in my spiritual practice, and now will be holding one of the corners during a Solstice Sunrise ceremony on Friday morning. At first I hesitated because I have to be there at 4:45 a.m. but hey, I put it out there and the Universe once more responded.

Life is like that. If we put it out there it comes back. Perhaps not in the exact manner that we requested but we have to receive it when it does come.

And that is a thing of Joy.

May your day be full of joy and bliss.