Embracing joy! A profound way to live life. Today my friend and bestselling publisher Linda Joy released Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Cultivating Joy, featuring the soul-inspiring stories of 38 amazing women who share their intimate stories of transformation. You may remember Linda as my publisher for The Wisdom of Women 2, which a few weeks ago made #1 Amazon Best-seller. Today, with Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Cultivating Joy, she brings something new. Many of the authors are personal friends of mine, like Debra Reble, Shelley Lundquist and Sheila Callaham who shared a dynamic guest post here not long ago. Peggy Nolan interviewed me for her podcast. (later, I interviewed her for Wisdom Talk Radio.) These authors and 34 others have shared personal stories that will touch your hearts and open you to joy. For a limited time you can get over 50 transformational gifts with your copy of Cultivating Joy. Grab your copy today> www.CultivatingJoyBook.com.
Joy simply is, available in any moment. It’s an energetic vibration. Yet it can feel so elusive, with old patterns cluttering the way. Maybe it was readily accessible when you were a child, reveling in play and wonder. I have to go far back in my childhood memories to find a time when I felt loved, free of wondering if I was worthy.
Joy and Freedom
In everyday life joy is aligned with freedom. In order for me to find my way to freedom, I had to let go of things that no longer worked for me, ways of being that I had adopted trying to feel secure.
Only those patterns didn’t make me feel safe. Instead, I continually struggled for breath to give voice to myself, even physicalizing that into asthma. Now, as I have given myself permission to show up as I am, to stop hiding out, the feeling of inner freedom has become available.
When there is a moment that I don’t feel it, I notice right away. I take a moment to go inside, scanning myself, looking to see where I have said no, when I wanted to say yes. Yes to myself.
A few breaths settles that into my body.
Joy needs to be cultivated in order to be realized. It is available in the smile of the child, the beauty of a glowing sunset and in the quiet appreciation of the breath that keeps us alive. Say yes to yourself. It’s the foundation of honoring the truth of who you are.
How do you cultivate joy in the midst of everyday life? I invite you to share how you do that in the comments below.
Be sure to check out Inspired Living Publishing’s much anticipated new book, Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Cultivating Joy. Get your copy today at www.CultivatingJoyBook.com to receive over 50 transformational gifts.
16 Responses
Hi, Laurie! Thank you so much for this blog post and supporting the release of Cultivating Joy! I agree that joy and freedom are so aligned. How wonderful is it to let go of things, right? Much love to you!
Much love to you Jill! Celebrating this big launch with you.
Thank you so much for support the launch of #CultivatingJoy! You are beautiful!! <3
Mirror, mirror, Peggy! <3
Cultiver la joie dans notre vie quotidienne, c’est embrasser la vie d’une certaine manière.
Quelle est Notre définition du mot « joie » ? Est-ce le fait d’acquérir quelque chose ou juste un état d’esprit ?
Pour ma part, c’est une combinaison des deux, qui consiste à nous faire prendre conscience que nous avons des attributs et des privilèges que d’autres peuvent ne pas avoir ; à savoir : la santé, la stabilité dans sa vie quotidienne, le fait d’avoir un impact dans la vie d’autrui, mais surtout la paix du cœur. Le matériel n’est que secondaire puisqu’on ne peut en profiter sans certains des éléments précités. Poussière nous sommes nés, poussière nous retournerons à la terre.
Chaque instant, chaque sourire, chaque souffle de vie nous enseigne ce qu’est la signification de cultiver la joie…..dans la crainte du Grand Architecte !
A.S
Merci beaucoup pour vos mots, Ange! “Chaque instant, chaque sourire, chaque souffle de vie nous enseigne ce qu’est la signification de cultiver la joie…..dans la crainte du Grand Architecte !” Pour moi, ce n’est pas la crainte, mais c’est dans la gratitude pour le cœur du Grand Architecte.
Je sais que vous embrassez la vie, chaque moment.
Laurie
Je suis d’accord!
Cette crainte est le reflet de la gratitute que nous vouons au Grand Architecte, car lui seule a le dernier mot.
Excellent sujet de discussion!
A.S
Ah, maintenant je comprends bien, Ange. Merci pour votre contribution!
Thank you Laurie for your insightful post on Cultivating Joy and for demonstrating your amazing support to fellow authors and the recent release of “Cultivating Joy”. I so connected with your linking joy with freedom. How do I cultivate joy? I think about what I am grateful for, sometimes I sing a song “I am so blessed” that buoys me up. When I walk in nature and appreciate all the natural beauty that surrounds me, I feel intense joy and freedom. Hugs, Pam
Wonderful, Pam! I love that what you’ve shared connects joy and freedom. It sounds like what you receive in your walks in nature carries into the rest of your life! Laurie
“In everyday life, joy is aligned with freedom.” What a powerful statement — and one that resonates with me. I’m just back from an open-ended road trip and that sense of freedom really connects me with joy. Thanks for a lovely post.
p.s. This is my first trip to your new site. It’s beautiful.
An open-ended road trip! Yay, Andrea! How lovely that you created that way of experiencing freedom…and joy.
Thanks for being here. I am loving this new site myself! 🙂
Laurie
Beautifully said…”Joy needs to be cultivated in order to be realized.” So true. It’s all around us, all we have to do is choose to look for it! Thank you for supporting the release of Cultivating Joy! xo
Exactly, Pamela! Look for it and allow ourselves to receive it. Hugs!
How do you cultivate joy in the midst of everyday life? …… très bonne question!
Pour moi, cette tâche, ce challenge, est un résultat de sa vie intérieure et ses effects sur sa vie extérieure. Si c’est plus probable qu’on cherche la negative. … croyez-moi…. on le trouvera encore et encore. Le même est toujours la vérité pour la positivité et la joie …. si on les cherche, ou si on anticipe les trouver, on les trouvera.
Je crois que c’est très important que nous nous entourions de gens de soutien, qui sont positifs, sincères, et qui souhaitent le meilleur pour nous. Également, c’est important que nous soyons cette personne…. soyons de soutien, soyons positif, soyons sincère, souhaitons le meilleur pour l’autres!
Chaque jour, je pense que c’est important que nous attendions avec impatience de quelque chose….. , que nous encouragions quelqu’un…… que nous pensions des possibilités…… que nous appréciions quelque chose qui semble ordinaire, comme un beau ciel bleu, ou le changement de la lumière en automne, ou un beau arbre….. les possibilités sont infinies! Gardons-le simple!
Et finalement, nous sommes responsables pour notre propre bonheur. Faisons-le avoir de l’importance!
Merci beaucoup Laurie pour l’opportunité à penser de cette grande question!
Debbie
Debbie–Avec plaisir! Vraiment, cette question est grande et c’est aussi très important dans notre vie. Merci beaucoup pour vos belles pensées!
Laurie