Carrie Baker – The Growth Collective

This week I bring you Part Two in this mini series on How To Capture Joy. We look at 7 ways you can be a bringer of joy, to those around you.

In case you missed Part One, we talked about some simple and practical ways to let joy into your life. I gave three reasons why we are created for joy. One of the reasons is that it connects us to others. If you didn’t already, you can go back and read Ways to Capture Joy Part One here.

There is a purpose for joy, and it’s not just there for us to keep to ourselves. Because we are created for community, and designed to share life with others, a beautiful way that we do this is by sharing joy with each other.

What if I told you, that you have the potential inside of you, to make a change in the world for the better? Joy is a way you can do that.

Share the joy

What do you do with all that joy you let it into your life? Everyday, as much as you can, you choose joy, and you bring it with you wherever you go.

You know that person who is in a deep and committed relationship with misery? They need you to help them to find joy again. Yes, I really do mean you.

You may need more convincing to believe this, but everyone has the capacity for, and is created for, joy. Even that one severely grumpy person you know. Some people have just lost their way a little, or have lost sight of joy for so long, that they don’t even recognise it anymore.

If you think back over your life, has there been a time when someone helped you find joy again, right when you needed it?

I know it would have been such a gift to you when they did. And then after that, it would’ve helped you to see other little sparks of joy here and there until, once again, joy settled in your heart.

Life is made up of seasons. Some of those seasons are full of joy and then others are sorely lacking it. We need each other to have joy, whether we are the bringers of it, or those in need of it. In a perfect world, we would all be exchanging joy wherever we go.

Do you know that sharing joy, isn’t just for those you know? You can bring joy to that person you see regularly at your local supermarket, the postman, the old lady who lives on the corner, or even a random passerby.

You can do this by being kind; by letting someone in ahead of you in line, sharing a joke or remembering to ask the checkout person about their holiday. You can bring joy to that hassled mum on the bus, or hold open the door for someone in your building.

Joy is your superpower.

Joy can make you feel as though you can handle anything that comes your way. It breathes life to your body, and gives you a deep, inner strength.

Can I tell you something before we talk about how to share it? Joy can make you feel as though you are powered through your day.

“…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10 KJV

On the days I felt were the hardest, when my body and my soul were tired and I prayed for strength, often I was given joy.

Joy gave me the strength I needed, to get through the busy day I was dreading. If you have experienced this yourself, you’ll know what I mean.

For people of faith, like me, we should experience joy in our life, through our faith and knowledge we have. Our hope is secure in the creator of all things and we should be consumed by joy. And yet… we live in a fallen world that desperately needs joy.

Sometimes joy is a choice before it’s a feeling. When we feel it, joy fuels us.

Joy is like a superpower, that energises you through a difficult day, it can carry you through grief and give you hope in seemingly hopeless situation.

Joy grows.

When you share joy with others, it multiplies itself. Similar to when you drop a stone into still water, the ripples it creates go on and on.

What is the ripple effect from one bit of passed on joy? Well… that’s immeasurable. You cannot possibly quantify it. But if you could, how far outward, would those ripple effects go?

This reminds me of that poem

Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu. When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too. I passed it round the corner, and someone caught my grin. When he smiled I realised, I’d passed it onto him. I thought about that smile, then I realised it’s worth. A single smile, just like mine, could travel round the earth. So, if you feel a smile begin, don’t leave it undetected. Let’s start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!

Smile: A Poem by Spike Milligan

If you think of joy as the smile in this poem, it really does get passed on.

Now you know all the amazing reasons why you need to share joy, let’s talk about the how.

7 Ways to be a bringer of Joy

Again, let’s keep this really simple. Here is a list to get you started, and I am sure that you can think of more to add to this.

Give a smile.

Like in the poem, just make a point of smiling at people.

Have you done this recently? When you smile, they smile and then you smile again because they did, and because they are smiling already, they smile at someone else… one smile becomes many.

Give compliments regularly.

There is no reason you need to be creepy about it. But is so lovely to hear someone say something nice to you.There are so many ways to compliment someone that isn’t to do with their appearance:

• Your smile lights up a room.

• That is a great colour on you.

• I loved the way you handled that situation.

• You have such a great presence

• Your kindness is beautiful.

• You have the biggest heart.

• That is a great laugh.

• You being in the world makes it a better place.

• I love your work ethic.

• You have such wisdom.

• I love your passion for life.

• I love that you are always ready to try new things.

• You are great at seeing the good in people.

• I love your positive attitude towards life.

• You inspire me to be a better person.

• You are fun to be around.

• I appreciate how you always teach me something new.

• You are a great team player.

• You have such welcoming personality.

• You are a brilliant listener.

• I really love what you contribute to…

See if you can think of your own, I am sure that you can.

Spend time with those you care about.

Giving your time to others brings you joy as well as them, and makes them feel so loved. Putting people before things, tasks and To Do lists, let’s them know their worth to you. You can give your time in different ways.

• Practically help them with something.

• Call them and having a conversation.

• Invite them out for coffee or a meal.

• Go for a walk together.

• Take a class together or do an activity.

• Join in with something they are doing.

• Invite them to your home.

• Watch a movie together.

• Taking time to write a message or even leaving a chatty voice message can be a way to give someone your time if you can’t be there in person.

Appreciate the beauty around you.

Take someone to an art gallery, a museum, a beautiful garden or somewhere surrounded by nature. Enjoy the beauty in what you see, take time over it together and really soak it in. A shared experience immersed in something beautiful gives them, and you, greater joy.

Do something kind for someone else.

Doing something kind for another person creates a powerful exchange. It brings you joy, and gives you a feel-good rush of endorphins. But even more so, for them they feel thought of, cared for and they receive joy alongside the kindness.

It can be as small as making someone at work a cup of tea and learning how they like it, fill up their water or secretly leave some chocolate on their desk.

You could take the ice off a neighbours car, mow their lawn, or bring in their bins. And of you want to go really big with it, pay for someone’s dinner at restaurant. Slip some money anonymously through someone’s door if you know they are struggling.

There are so many ways to be kind…

Be givers of kindness and joy for your family, friends, someone in your neighbourhood or a complete stranger, it’s a powerful way to share joy in the world.

Show gratitude to those around you.

It is so lovely when someone thanks you for something you’ve done, recognises what you’ve done, or shows you gratitude. How can you do that for others? How can you show appreciation for someone? You could write a note, or a card, give flowers, tell others about what a great job they’ve done in front of their peers, coworkers, family or friends. Honour them publicly and watch their cheeks glow, and their heart swell.

Give small and thoughtful gifts.

There is something amazing about receiving a ‘just because’ gift. Give a really small and thoughtful gift to someone that doesn’t have to cost much or anything at all. By taking time to know what they would like, means more than giving an expensive gift they may feel awkward about receiving.

Some thoughts on what this could be:

• Bake something like cookies or a cake.

• Buy their favourite chocolate.

• Make something by hand.

• Write a thoughtful letter, or even a nice note on a post it.

• Seasonal flowers are always a winner, and even some greenery from around your neighbourhood bunched together nicely.

There are so many things you could do for little gifts for someone….

By being a bringer of joy, there only one kind of impact this can have on the people around you… an incredibly positive one. Remember that one small stone, dropped into still water? You can be the stone making ripples in the lives of those around you.

You may never know the extent of the impact you will have, for all the ways you share joy with others… but you will definitely change the course of someone’s day.

Be an agent of change in your home, in your workplace, your neighbourhood and in your town by sharing joy.

Sprinkle your joy everywhere, there is nothing to lose. Your efforts mights go a little sideways occasionally but that’s ok.. it keeps you humble.

I promise, you won’t regret bringing joy into someone’s life.

To recap:

• Share joy: It is a beautiful way that we connect with others.

• Joy is your superpower: It gives you the strength you need for the tough days and seasons.

• Joy grows: When we share joy, it multiplies.

How can you be a bringer of joy?

• Give a smile.

• Give compliments (the non-creepy ones).

• Give your time.

• Appreciate the beauty around you, with someone.

• Do something kind for another person.

• Express gratitude for others.

• Give small thoughtful gifts.

I challenge you to do something this coming week, that brings joy to someone in your world, and when you do, I can’t wait to hear all about it!

You are welcome to leave a comment if you are on WordPress, or pop me an email at admin@carriebaker.org

Sending you love friend,

Carrie xxx