“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
In this time when life continues to be stressful and challenging and nurturing ourselves is more important than ever for our resilience practicing joy and embracing miracles may be just the medicine that we all need. But practicing joy may feel out of reach when we are experiencing sadness and grief and are witnessing so much suffering in the world. I know that in the past embracing joy felt like a betrayal of my grief. I have come to understand that practicing joy and looking for the miracles all around me are the way through the sadness and grief and may be the most empowering choices I can make.
These empowering choices seem really important to highlight as I have heard from many people about how they are feeling overwhelmed and completely disempowered witnessing so much suffering in the world and don’t have a way to positively impact it. Understanding that we have the ability to transform our experience by practicing joy and looking for miracles around us is a powerful act that can spark healing and change the world so desperately needs. Practicing joy and celebrating miracles can change the way we look at the world, focusing on what is going well rather than what is not. It turns our challenges into opportunities and encourages us to find the gift even in the difficult situation. It empowers us to take inspired action instead of feeling stuck in hopelessness and despair.
When my mother was struggling with dementia and was unable to communicate or engage with me as she had in the past I felt profound grief, experiencing mini losses every time I visited her. Visiting her in her memory care center became so painful that I had to change my approach. I started looking for miracles to buoy me up, from a smile, to a response when I kissed her cheek, to her calling me darling, to one amazing moment when she said my name after not speaking for some time. It transformed my experience from one of deep sadness to one of profound joy. I appreciated these little blessings each visit and my gratitude deepened and grew for all the experiences I was able to have with my mom. She recently died and I am so grateful for all those miracles I experienced with her that bring me sweet joy in the remembering.
Recognizing that we can make daily choices to fuel joy in our lives is empowering and inspiring. When we reflect on the opportunities to practice joy in our days, we see how this can become the foundation of our self-nurturing practice. When we nurture ourselves regularly we feel more energized, joyful, inspired, grateful, hopeful, and filled with inner peace. When we choose joy and honor the miracles in our lives, we reinforce our value and worth and honor that we deserve to feel good!
Joy is a wonderful portal into nurturing ourselves as it rejuvenates and uplifts us. Cultivating joy is an integral part of any self-nurturing practice and infuses it with energy and love. Discovering what brings us joy may be challenging when we are overwhelmed and exhausted with all the responsibilities of our very full and stressful lives. Please be gentle with yourself on the journey of inviting more joy and miracles into your life. Being compassionate to yourself and giving yourself permission to practice joy is a miracle in itself!
Here are five empowering ways to practice joy and embrace miracles:
- Gratitude
Gratitude is a fabulous way to recharge your life and connect with what brings you joy! There are endless ways to invite gratitude into your day including noticing the blessings and miracles all around you, acknowledging what you are grateful for regularly throughout the day, taking gratitude walks to appreciate the beauty around you, acknowledging what you are grateful for about yourself and your life, and honoring the miracle of being alive.
- Fun
Fun is an elixir for overwhelm and exhaustion and is the embodiment of joy! There are many activities that can bring you delight. Try inviting fun into your day by playing games, laughing, spending time with family, friends, and pets, dancing, having deep and meaningful conversations, listening to music, learning new things, playing sports, going on an adventure, watching a sunrise or sunset, and/or trying something new.
- Nature
Most people find spending time in nature to be deeply nurturing. There is something about being in nature that opens us to miracles and the awe and wonder of living on the Earth. We often feel a sense of childlike wonder when we are out exploring nature that brings us great joy. Feeling connected to the trees, plants and birds and witnessing the profound beauty of the Earth reminds us of our interconnectedness and sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves. Whether you live in the city or in the countryside, you can practice joy and embrace miracles by connecting intentionally to nature each and every day, acknowledging the beauty all around you and knowing that you are part of it!
- Creativity
Allowing time and space in your life to express your creativity is powerfully nurturing and a deeply joyful act. In the process of nurturing yourself, you will find undiscovered aspects of yourself that are yearning to be expressed. Creativity can be expressed in endless ways including drawing, coloring, painting, dancing, singing, writing, problem solving, cooking, and even viewing a challenge from a new perspective. There are no limits to our creativity except those we place on ourselves. So invite in more creativity today to infuse your life with more joy and miracles!
- Connection
Giving and receiving love nurtures connection and allows us to tap into a deep sense of joy. Prioritizing time with friends and family creates intentional time and space to nourish your soul and joyful experiences. There are endless ways to nurture joy through connection like joining a club, inviting friends over for a game night, going on a walk with a friend, taking a class, volunteering, writing a thank you note or inviting a loved one to join you in any of the other ways you cultivate joy. Staying connected improves your health and wellbeing and offers you shared experiences of joy and miracles!
Remember these ideas are shared in the spirit of self-nurturing and are not intended to be another “to do” on your list. There is no expectation that you try everything but rather choose one thing to invite more joy and embrace more miracles in your life and take some inspired action! Over time you can try more ideas to cultivate joy while reflecting on the positive impact this practice has on your life and on everyone around you. Be the spark of light that can inspire others as you embody more joy and embrace more miracles!
As Wayne Dyer reminded us, “Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing.”
May you be empowered to practice joy and embrace miracles as you continue to nurture peace in the world from the inside out!
Sending you so much peace, love and gratitude, Kelley
