Discovering The Authentic Self - Set Yourself Free - Be The Person You Are Meant To Be

How to Manifest Authentic Joy in Your Life

Photo by Preslie Hirsch 

Joy is now evident in everything I say and do! 

Focus on gratitude. Choose forgiveness. Choose joy.— Shaunti Feldhahn 

“Joy” is one of my favorite words. In fact, it is in my top ten list of treasured words. As I thought about it, I wondered what does “joy” mean? I took it a step further and asked: What is joy? Then, I embarked upon a little excursion in search of a thorough definition of this beloved word. First, I had to determine what joy is not. Joy is not happiness. Happiness is temporary. It is fleeting; you cannot grasp it. You are pursuing happiness, and it is always expressed in the future tense. 

Circumstances 

For example, many of us believe we will be happy when we get married. We seek fulfillment of ourselves through a relationship with a life partner. Other times, we feel a successful career will make us happy. We invest money, thinking financial security will buy happiness. We buy houses and cars, surmising these items will lead to fulfillment. Finally, we look forward to retirement and enjoying the fruits of our labors. We dream about places to go and time to spend on leisurely activities. We base our happiness on circumstances and events we want to happen. These things are not wrong in and of themselves; however, if they take the place of experiencing joy now, we will miss much that life has to offer. 

Choosing joy 

In contrast, joy is eternal. You can exist in joy. It is a state of mind that focuses on the present, despite our circumstances. In this life, we will have troubles that rob us of our joy if we let them. Physical ailments and pain are a reality that many of us endure. For example, I have suffered chronic pain from arthritis for the past twelve years, and some days I struggle to find joy. Disaster and hardships fall upon us in an instant. When I was a little girl, our house burned to the ground, and we lost everything. My mother insisted things happen to the just and the unjust, despite our beliefs about the world and our experience of it. How we respond to these misfortunes determines the quality of life we experience. 

Amid our trials, we can practice joy. Therefore, joy becomes a choice. 

Gratitude 

Fortunately, in my investigation of joy I found I had to develop an attitude of gratitude. I know that seems a cliché; however, gratitude is the basis of joy. During my lifetime, I experienced grief and loss that seemed to undermine any thankfulness in my heart. The emotional suffering I underwent led me into a deep depression. A friend told me to make a list of things to be grateful for. At first, I hesitated, but then I tried it. I started with ten items, and my inventory quickly grew to one hundred and counting. After reading my list over and over, I felt the despair lift. 

Now, I wake up with thanksgiving in my heart. Thus, I discovered that gratitude paves the road to joy. 

Forgiving yourself 

Forgiveness is a requirement for having joy in our hearts. The first person you must forgive is yourself. When I looked deep in my heart, I found that unforgiveness was a chain that had me bound. Guilt and regret over the poor choices I made in my life only inhibited my joy. In the past, my addictions hurt my family and my ability to raise my children in a safe and loving manner. The time I allotted to buying and using illicit substances stole time I could have spent with them. However, I learned that the only way to move forward in joy is to be kind to myself and not live under the iron fist of condemnation and self-hate. Therefore, I asked myself for forgiveness. 

Forgiving others 

Also, you must forgive others for their perceived offenses — past and present. After I forgave myself, I compiled a second list that contained the names of the people who had offended me. Some of these people did not care if I forgave them; some didn’t even know I needed to forgive them. After I finished my list, I read each name out loud and verbally forgave them. Even then, I rarely felt any better, so I continued to read my list repeatedly — again and again. Over time, the pain I associated with the offenses subsided, and I knew that forgiveness of word and deed had occurred. I learned I cannot change the past; I can only forgive the past. 

Acts of kindness 

-Deliberate 

Twenty years ago, I was employed by a non-profit agency in the helping field. On May 3, 1999, Oklahoma experienced the worst tornado in her history up to that time. Our agency hurried into the field to provide disaster relief for those devastated by the monster storm. The people we helped often called us “angels of mercy” as they received our acts of kindness with intense joy. Truly, “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35, NIV). Any attempt I would make to articulate the joy I received from the people we assisted would be inadequate. 

-Random Also, a simple random act of kindness can touch a life in ways you may never know. A smile or a word of encouragement often initiates a chain reaction known as the “butterfly effect.” This is a concept developed by Edward Lorenz, an MIT professor, over fifty years ago, which simply states “little, insignificant events can lead to significant results over time.” For example, Lorenz theorized that “the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil can cause a hurricane in Texas.” These kind acts will definitely ratchet up your joy-o-meter. 

Meditating 

Meditating on joy has proven to have many benefits. For example, studies have shown joy can positively affect you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

-Physically Meditation increases the levels of dopamine and serotonin in our brains. The release of these neurotransmitters increases feelings of elation and joy. Also, joy can physically rewire our brains if we speak with intention. I often read Scripture out loud as part of my meditation. This act of speaking and listening creates new neurons and neural pathways when we meditate. 

-Emotionally 

Your heart has 40,000 brain cells, and it emits electromagnetic signals. This energy creates emotional responses. Consider the sayings: “I feel joy in my heart,” or “my heart is breaking.” If joy can change your brain, why not your heart? 

-Spiritually 

Reading the Bible can also increase your joy. I begin every morning with my daily dose of Scripture. I have 12 verses containing the word “joy,” which I call my prescriptions (RX’s) for life. Each day, I choose a verse from my list and focus, pay attention, mutter, or memorize it throughout the day until it becomes a part of me. For example, the last verse on my list is Jeremiah 15:16 (ESV): and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart… 

Cultivating joy 

Finally, we must cultivate seeds of joy. Planting a joy seed can occur when someone says and/or does something that hurts us. Taking the opportunity to smile or speak words of encouragement often will stop the offending person in their tracks. Not only are you preventing bitterness from taking root within your heart, but you may also offer the other person a seed of joy. 

Furthermore, when you are having feelings or thoughts of anger or fear, stop, and reflect on what is happening. Try to give that emotion a name because when we can identify a thing, we can do something about it. Then, replace the emotion with a different feeling or thought (fear becomes faith, and anger becomes joy). As we do all these things, our hearts will be open to receiving joy. The fruit of joy will emerge, even when we least expect it. Joy will bubble up inside of us like a spring whose waters never fail, and it will become evident in what we say and do. 

That, I believe, is the definition of joy. 

Debbie Walker, writer with a BA in Psychology. 

https://medium.com/koinonia/how-to-manifest-authentic-joy-in-your-life-4fe8d74fe1c2

Choose Joy & Live a Happier Life!

The 4 Actions You Must Take to Find Your Opportunity

Image credit: Hero Images |


Don’t look for an industry, look for the opportunity. Opportunity is a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something. The middle class looks for jobs to solve their problems. You need a job, but you also need opportunity. Senior students at MIT and Harvard right now don’t even know what opportunity means, they will just be looking for a job next summer. The truth is, an opportunity will solve your problems. Here are four tips today to find your opportunity:



1. Look for opportunity.

Before you can see an opportunity, you have to be looking for opportunity. This seems basic but many people have given up on looking for opportunity. This is why there is that saying, “You wouldn’t see an opportunity if it hit you in the face,” comes from. Opportunity can literally be right where you are but you’re blind to it.


2. Be willing to read and research.

They say knowledge is power, and it’s true. You won’t find opportunity without knowledge

Everything you ever want, you are just a piece of knowledge away from obtaining. The only thing between you and massive wealth is the right knowledge. I’ve experienced all the delays and pitfalls that keep people in the middle class, but I was able to push beyond them to become wealthy, and I can teach you to do the same because of the knowledge I've obtained.


3. You have to go for it.

You have to leave where you are comfortable. Staying with mommy and daddy past the age of 25 isn’t going to work, sorry. Opportunity might mean moving out of state or even across the country. Maybe, just maybe, you need a new passport for your opportunity. The point is, the opportunity may not be where you are because you might be a big fish in a small pond.


4. Make contacts.

Everything you want, somebody else has it. Contacts equal contracts. How big is your power base? How big is your pipeline? The more people you know, the more opportunities will come your way. There’s a reason why successful network marketers make a lot of money -- they prospect.

Your next opportunity might just be with someone you don’t even know yet. You need to go out and meet them.

So what is your opportunity that you need?




Each of of these four essentials -- looking for opportunity, reading and researching, going for it, or making contacts -- requires effort on your part. I have a few sayings that relate to this:

Everyone wants to have a six-pack but don’t want to put in the time.

Everyone wants to be the boss but won’t go out on their own.

Everyone wants to be a millionaire but won’t spend $1000.

I will add to this, “Everyone wants an opportunity but won’t ____.”

What’s your excuse?

Find your opportunity.





Grant Cardone
ENTREPRENEUR LEADERSHIP NETWORK VIP
International Sales Expert & $1.78B Real Estate Fund Manager

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/300589

Opportunity - Motivational Video

7 Habits That Make Great Opportunities Happen

Do you want to be at the right place at the right time? Adopt these habits to make sure opportunity comes knocking.

Everyone hears about that person who is “in the right place at the right time.” Maybe you know someone who seems to be that person all of the time. We have those friends who walk right into the perfect job and achieve the right promotions as if they have a crystal pointing them in the right direction. They get awarded the best projects and their presentations get praise and standing ovations from the special guests who showed up to hear them. How do they do that?

It’s not fate or a great gene pool. It’s not an accident. It’s not even a lucky star. People who enjoy consistent success know what it takes to make great opportunities happen. Change a few habits and people might be wondering how you get so many opportunities, too.

It’s true. You don’t need luck if you can make things happen; you need strategy. Simply stated, strategy is a realistic plan to move forward by taking advantage of the opportunities that suit your unique abilities. It’s a matter of having control. It takes time and some attention, but buying a lottery ticket takes that and money, too.

Want to make good things happen for you? Here are seven habits that make great opportunities happen.

1. Pay attention

Value curiosity and collect information. Make a habit of interacting with your environment. Notice things that happen around you. People who notice things know more than people who don’t.
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Notice the kind of preparation and responses people value.
Notice how you can make processes and meetings work better.
Notice what makes people’s lives easier, faster and more meaningful.
Notice ways that you can add value without taking something away from those around you.

Develop a habit of paying attention. You’ll grow as a person and you’ll become a natural resource to the people who work with you. It will become natural for them to think of you when new opportunities happen.

2. Think of your work as important

No matter how dull, uninteresting, or seemingly useless the project, assume a higher purpose is driving it. Bring your best talents and most dedicated attitude to it. What you think changes how you feel and what you do. People will respond to the importance you place on the work that you’re executing. Develop a habit of honoring your work. People will place more value on the work you do and start to look for opportunities where they might use your higher-level abilities.

3. Be aware of the potential of your impact

The way you look, the smile you give, the way you answer on your cellphone—each causes a response in someone you might never be told. Everything you do has an impact. When you make decisions, think them through to understand how they will affect other people. Develop a habit of considering how your actions affect the people around you. People will see that you make work easier, rather than making more work for them.

4. Imagine opportunities everywhere you look

Lucky people know that opportunity is always present. Look for ideas and trends that match your interests and your skill set. Bend and twist those ideas to make them uniquely yours. Develop a habit of looking at everything to see how you might improve it—how you’ll make it more fun, faster, cooler, friendlier, easier, quieter, more musical, lighter, more romantic, more exciting, more inviting, more anything. Choose the opportunities that benefit other people and they will support your offer to take advantage of an opportunity.

5. Make yourself a magnet for jobs you do well

Be generous offering your help and counsel. When people help you, suggest your best skills as a way you might return the favors. Be on alert for the tiniest ways to match your best work with what the people around you might be doing. Talk about your favorite projects. Develop a habit of letting people know how much you love doing what you do well. People get impressed by folks who love their work and want to help.

6. Count and record the opportunities that suit you

Small ideas and opportunities have a way of getting bigger. Research shows that things we watch and measure get bigger and more plentiful. Develop a habit of attending to what suits you. People will notice that you record ideas and opportunities. They’ll start listening and looking to find more. Soon you’ll have a network of people who are offering you ideas they’ve collected for you.

7. Decide

When an opportunity is set before you, don’t hesitate. Take the opportunity and use it to grow the skills that got you that far. You know which opportunities fit your interests and skills and which don’t. Develop a habit of taking on new opportunities as a way of growing. Be clear that you’ll always be noticing and learning and people will feel secure in offering you opportunities that grow with you.

So if you want to be the lucky someone, you can make great opportunities happen. Develop the seven habits that will get you seeing opportunities and other people seeing you. Once you start, you might be surprised who starts pitching in to help you.


Liz Strauss

Speaker, Social Media Strategist, Influence & Chan, SOBCon / Inside-Out Thinking

https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/7-habits-that-make-great-opportunities-happen/

Opportunities