Carrie Baker – The Growth Collective

How are you friend? I mean, how are you really?

If were sitting opposite you right now in your favourite cafe, looking you in the eyeballs, how would you answer? (Let me just warn you that I’ll know if you’re brushing off the question.)

I’ve had so many conversations recently, with people who are struggling, going through a difficult situation, or life is just hurling one thing after another at them. If I’m being as honest with you as well… I’d actually say that my life feels like a lot sometimes.

If that is you too, I wanted to write a blog post that isn’t talking about goals, schedules, routines, seasons, or even embracing failure. I want to give you hope in this tricky season, and help you to find some joy.

I’m actually in the middle of writing a book about joy, and while we are being open about how we feel… I feel like I’m a little stuck with it. So please feel free to poke me with a stick and tell to just get on with it! Anyway…

Did you know that you are created for joy?

You are designed to experience it in your life. If you’re not feeling joy in this season, this statement may be hard for you to believe. Let me try and expand on this.

3 Reasons why we are created for joy:

Joy is in our DNA. God created us in His own image with the capacity to experience joy….We are created by Him, we are a part of Him, and He is the source of all joy. He wants us to experience His joy and we are predisposed to it.

“The real source of joy is within us, it cannot be found in any external object.”

– Dalai Lama

Joy connects us to others. When we experience joy, we have this desire to share it with those around us. Have you noticed that you are drawn to people who are joyful and happy? You naturally gravitate towards them, because you feel good in their company. When you are joyful, you create a positive and uplifting environment to be in, and people seek that out.

Joy helps us through the tough times. When we choose to focus on the joys in life, it helps us to be grateful for what we have, and to make the most of our everyday life. When life feels a little grim, and we let joy in, it allows our eyes see those silver linings, and hope for better tomorrows.

“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”

– Karl Barth

Just in case you could do with some reminding, here are some ways you can let joy into your life:

Opportunities for joy

• Spend time outdoors and take in the beauty of nature. You will be amazed at how different you feel when you’re out and about in the fresh air and escape your four walls. It gives you space to think and helps to put your thoughts into perspective.

• Make time for yourself by taking part in activities that bring you joy. What are some things you enjoy doing? Try and make some time for the things that light you up. Maybe you love to garden, run, knit, do puzzles, watch a movie, reorganise your Iiving space, cook a nice dinner … whatever it is that you love doing, mark out some regular time to do them.

• Spend time with loved ones, even if it’s just a simple phone call. We are created for community. Community might be your family, wider family, friends, church family, or a group you’re a part of. If you live on your own, it can be difficult to feel that you have a community. Go and spend time with your loved ones, or even strike up a conversation with a stranger in your local supermarket. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to or seen in a while, invite your neighbours over for dinner or take someone out for coffee – no one says no to those invitations.

• Listen to your favourite music and dance. My kitchen is usually the place for me, I put on some music, close the door and dance while I make the dinner. Music, like laughter, can do wonders for your soul. Enjoy the music with your whole body, it will make you feel so good.

• Laugh out loud and make time for fun. Watch a funny movie, or see a comedy show. Or spend some time with that friend who always makes you laugh. Do something you loved as a child, like rollerskating or playing at a park. Laugher is great medicine your body, mind and soul.

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.”

– Victor Hugo

• Take a break from technology and disconnect from the digital world. It creeps in doesn’t it? Your devices can sometimes suck you in, and before you know it, an hour has gone by. Put the device away out of reach or sight, or even put it in another room. You could pick up a book and read, or a good magazine, bake or do anything else you can, with your hands and mind free.

• Appreciate the small moments. Slow down occasionally, and take notice of the life happening around you. We are often in such a rush that we miss so many of those beautiful moments. Stop, soak them in, and store those moment away in your memory.

• Exercise and take care of your body. I feel so much better when I exercise. Even if it’s 10mins of stretching in my day. Love your body. It’s an incredible vehicle that you get around in. Move your body in a way that you enjoy. Create and savour food that is good for you, making sure to drink enough water. Taking proper care of yourself can make such a difference to your joy in life.

• Do something kind for someone else. There is a beautiful exchange that happens when you do something kind for another person. They feel cared for and seen, you get a good hit of endorphins, and it gives you joy. An act of kindness is like a stone that hits still water, the ripples of positivity go on and on.

“Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.”

– Roy T. Bennett

• Get creative. Being creative unlocks your brain and gets those other parts of it moving. Working with your hands gives you a sense of achievement and wellbeing. The world goes a little quiet, time slows down when your hands are busy, and your mind wanders while you work.

• Take a walk and explore a new area. Sometimes you need a good adventure, and go somewhere you’ve never been before. That feeling of seeing a place for the first time, can illicit a flutter of excitement in your body. Break out of the rut of the usual places you go, and try somewhere new.

“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”

– Christopher McCandless

• Get lost in a good book. Sometimes it’s just what you need, to fall into a book for a while and stay there as long as you can. You may say you’re not a reader… I say you haven’t met the right book yet. Ask your reader friends for a recommendation, or head into your local bookshop, they will know which book to introduce you to.

• Treat yourself to something special. Who doesn’t like a little treat every now and then? It may be a little gift to yourself like a piece of clothing or an accessory. Maybe can treat yourself to a bath with candles lit and soft music. Treating yourself doesn’t need to be something you spend money on, think creatively. Do something for you that feels special, because you deserve it.

• Make a gratitude list of all that you’re thankful for. When you practice gratitude, it makes you focus on the positive things in your life. Being positive opens you up to recognising and chasing joy.

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”

– Marcus Aurelius

• Create a vision board of what kind of life you want. A vision board is a way for you visualise what you want in life, whether it’s a dream you have or things you are planning. Looking ahead with hope for what is to come, gives you direct m hope and joy.

• Find joy in the simple things, and be present. When was the last time you really savoured a cup of coffee, or tea? Did you breathe in the fragrance and watch the steam curl? When did you last take the time to enjoy a beautiful sunrise? Or watch the clouds drift by, or enjoy the way the wind moves the trees? You can read my blog post called The Practice of Being Present here.

• Create your own joy list. Maybe you already have your own ‘Joy List’ and if you do – well done! If you don’t already have one, and this Joy List doesn’t contain the kinds of things you like, why not write your own? What are the things that you would add to it?

There are so many more ways to capture joy in your life, this is just a short list to get you started. I know that they may seem like obvious things, but if you are being honest for a moment, how many of these are you doing regularly?

Let’s recap what we have covered:

We are created for joy:

• It’s in our DNA.

• It connects us to others.

• It helps us through tough times.

Let joy into your life:

• Spend time outdoors.

• Make time to do things you enjoy

• Spend time with loved ones

• Laugh and make time for fun

• Listen to your favourite music and dance

• Take a break from your devices

• Appreciate small moments

• Exercise and take care of your body

• Do something kind for someone else

• Get creative

• Explore somewhere new

• Get lost in a good book

• Treat yourself

• Write a gratitude list

• Create a vision board

• Find joy in the simple things, and be present

• Create your own list for joy.

I challenge you to do 5 things from this list, (or from your own if you write one) and take note of how that impacts your week.

Joy is often found in the small things we do, when we slow down long enough to enjoy it.

You can experienced joy in even greater measure, when you share it with others. You can read about this next week in Part 2, right here on my blog.

If you have written your own list, I would love to hear about it! You can comment below if you are on WordPress, or email me here.

If you want to see the other places I hang out, you can find me here.

Thank you for hanging out with me again this week, I hope you found this helpful and that you find beautiful moments of joy in your week.

Sending you love, Friend.

Carrie xxx