Feeling joyful really loses its deeper meaning when it’s just covering up how you REALLY feel. It’s like a lick of paint on a rusty surface – it will only last so long, and it’s actually making a bigger mess. Real joy can only come from an open heart, which (sorry to remind you) is also where real pain can come from.
My friend, there is no substitute for happiness, but we can take a shortcut. It involves taking down the walls and inviting potential for both joy and pain. It involves really FEELING your feelings, not stuffing them down, or pretending they don’t exist.
Some suggestions to releasing your pain and shifting your energy in a pinch:
Go for a walk outside while listening to The Office Ladies podcastHave a good cry while watching Downton Abbey the Christmas episode for the 15th timeWriting a list of appreciations about yourself, including your incredible cooking skills or your ability to find amazing parking spotsDancing by yourself in the dark to Prince and The Revolution
Stress might make you want to close your heart, build a wall, and shut out the world. When you make the decision to be vulnerable in times of stress, you are being courageous, radical, and kind of a baddie. So embrace the spectrum of emotion, shake off the cobwebs, open your heart, and seize the day!
