It’s been over a decade since I first heard that “life is meant to be joyous and abundant”. I was stunned – it was like a revelation that reoriented my thoughts and perceptions of the world. I thought, what do you mean, joyous and abundant, if that’s the case, why am I living like this?
That moment was a catalyst, among many, that launched me in new directions in several areas of my life. Now, here I am many years later, living a life of more joy and abundance than I ever thought possible.
This weekend for example, we hosted our annual Rite Of Spring party and had what amounted to a love fest of joy. I stood and looked around at all the smiling faces, the laughter, the music and dancing inside, while outside more joyous people, a maypole, candle lite lanterns, and a perfect crescent moon told me, yes, this is abundance in all its glory! I am living my dream!
What’s involved in claiming the joy and abundance that is our birthright? I’ve found that they closely follow the ancient wisdom traditions. Here’s what I’ve discovered. See if these ideas resonate with you:
Embrace the Thought of Joy and Abundance
Know your worthiness for joy and abundance, embrace it as an essential right that you’ll explore, find and allow. What does joy and abundance mean to you? I really gave it some thought, beyond the material and financial aspects that most people equate with it and explored what it meant to me.
As you reflect on what brings you joy and abundance, think through your quiet and social activities, your sources of being spiritually connected and attuned, your friendships, love relationships, and your work. Notice where you have joy and abundance and where you don’t. It was clear to me that certain areas of my life needed to change.
Joy and abundance are simple mental constructs that you can choose to embrace and allow, once you know what they mean to you.
Let Your Choices Reflect Your Truth
Claiming and allowing joy and abundance in your life starts on the inside. Do your choices match the truth about what brings you a sense of joy and abundance? Trust that you can change any aspect of your life to make it more congruent to your truth
Often, it’s the contrast of not having it in one aspect of our life that give us the information about what’s needs to change. Be brave enough to face your truth about what you want to alter. Your focused attention on what you seek helps you make the choices that allow it to flow more easily into your life.
Joy and abundance are reflected in all our choices, the positive experience in one area will help illuminate the contrast in others where it’s not present.
Build a Community Around Yourself
Joy and abundance are not built or experienced in solitude. It usually involves sharing in a community of likeminded people. Having people to support, share and celebrate with you expands your life exponentially.
When your choices align with what brings you the greatest sense of joy and abundance, it’s easier to build a congruent community. Because “like attracts like”, there’ll be overlap between areas of your life and more importantly, you will feel consistent from the inside out.
Your joy and abundance will attract other happy, healthy people and your base of support will grow exponentially.
Turn Toward Your Joy Over and Over
We are constantly faced with choices. What is your pattern? Do you say yes, when you want to say no. Do you obligate yourself unnecessarily to things that are not part of what you want in your life, be it people or activities?
Let your joy be your guide. A lifting feeling on the inside to the choices you make means it resonates with you. A sense of dread or heaviness means it doesn’t. Pay attention to your natural instincts and honor them. Say yes to joy.
Joy comes in readily when you make it a priority.
Appreciate The Abundance of Your Life
Take time to slow down and appreciate what you have. Sit quietly or walk slowly and notice, reflect and give thanks. What are the gifts in your life? Notice the people, the activities, and the natural world around you? What are the points of loveliness in your life that you’re thankful for?
Keeping a sense of gratitude serves to amplify the abundance that is all around us, no matter what our situation. It goes back to the first point, embrace a mindset of abundance and you’ll notice it everywhere.
Abundance and gratitude go hand in hand, once you notice it and give thanks, more of it comes.
I’m writing this on my birthday, a beautiful sunny, blue sky, white puffy cloud day with spring flowers all around. I’m bowled over with the joy and abundance in my life, and give thanks for being in this place.
My life didn’t used to be this wonderful. My choices weren’t always congruent as what I thought and felt on the inside didn’t always match what others saw on the outside. I went through an intentional transformation process to get to this place of being at peace with myself to live with joy and abundance. I’ll never take it for granted.
If you’d like help exploring how to bring a greater sense of joy and abundance into your life, I can support you in the process. My Transformational Life Coaching is designed to help you align with what serves you best. For more information, see my website, www.spectrumtransformation.com and use the Free Consultation feature to see if what I offer will be helpful to you. I’d love to hear from you.
* Photo credit – V. Silvestri, Field of Flowers, Carlsbad, CA
