December Theme: Joy
A segment of the monthly newsletter is a theme and this blog post is an enhancement to that section. Each theme is an invitation and encouragement meant to help the reader better connect to themselves. Please note that the selected themes can be reflected upon at any time and are not limited to the timing of the specific newsletter or blog post publication.
Theme: Joy
According to Oxford Languages, joy is defined as “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.” This month’s theme will focus on joy and in bringing awareness to all the ways we experience joy and the ways in which we can increase the amount of joy felt in our lives. Focusing on joy in December is intentional as the month is full of holidays that bring a spectrum of emotions with them, from happiness to sadness to grief. We can both feel the range of emotions and still celebrate and relish those moments of joy. We are meant to be dynamic feeling in our experiences and the invitation this month is to shine a little more light on those places, spaces, things, and people that bring us joy.
Practices for Reflection
Begin by taking five deep and nourishing breaths. Then, reflect on any of the following questions:
What does “joy” mean to me?
How does “joy” feel to me?
When do I feel the most joyful?
Where in my body do I experience joy?
Who brings me joy?
Now, go seek more pockets of joy in your life.
Personal Reflection
Joy has been something I have been thinking about a lot lately. It all started when I was reflecting on what I wanted to feel as I looked forward to training for the London Marathon. “Joy” was the first word that sprang to mind because, while I know marathon training and racing is a hard and challenging experience for me, I wanted to experience a deeper sense of gratitude and pleasure in not only the process of running, but also in the ability to run. The question then became, “How can I experience more joy on the run?” The answers included things like running with others, having more fun with outfit choices, and not taking my times so seriously. Joy, for me, meant increasing community and support while decreasing expectations. In this sense, joy is active process of seeking out those places, spaces, things, and people that remind me to smile and that remind me I am not alone in whatever struggle I find myself in.
To experience more joy in my life I have to bring more awareness to how and when joy is experienced: it’s not always about the big, obvious moments of joy; sometimes it’s the smaller moments, like that first bite of a warm chocolate chip cookie, that can ripple out the most. Joy isn’t just something that happens to me (I respond with joy), it is also something that I can seek out (I create joy). Joy is a feeling and an experience that is always with me and, by shining the light of my awareness on possible moments of joy, I can create more opportunities (or pockets) for joy in my life.
