Choosing Joy Part II

After posting my last entry, Choosing Joy Part I, I wanted to come back and expand a little for anyone who read it and may be attempting to add some of these ideas into their daily life.When writing words, stories, and personal experiences to share with others I feel there comes with it a personal caring for the different ways it may effect the readers you reach. With that said I offer these thoughts for you to ponder. Making a conscious chose to release sadness, anger, disappointments, and darkness from your life is an ongoing process, not something that just disappears with that moments decision, you realize that I'm certain by the way the old memories come back to shake you up, or unsettle your center at times when you least expect them to. Present activities can strike a heart string and take you back to a memory that may not always be joyful. Right ? Memories are stored in our subconscious mind like a fingerprint and all types of things can jog them to the present. There are memories that I feel we must experience and face today so that we can move on to a place of joy. The memories stored that cause you pain or any emotion other than happiness and warmth may require your better understanding and forgiveness. Many times we have judged what someone did to us as cruel, evil and just plain mean. True that may be and then again possibly they were never intending to hurt us at all they were just being who they were at the time doing the best they could in their mind, based on their environment and experiences since birth. Inviting an inner transformation and change into your life requires effort, it's gradual and there is no quick fix . Suffering is a part of this life journey and that suffering prompts many positive shifts within ourselves each time we experience them. That is another reason why I have asked you to consider not judging your feelings, allow them to be, and love them. It is through this temperance of mind that we are able to let go of the hurtful memories and begin to better understand the pain and best yet, forgive. Forgiveness and compassion release you, free you and you will find that you have no need to harbor or hold on to it anymore. In return this allows more space within you to experience joy, creativity and achieve true potential. I know people who have became artist, musicians, writers, speakers, and more productive people during these painful times. Why? Maybe during these experiences they tuned inward and since they were with their aloneness they realized they were not alone at all, it just slowed them down enough to hear spirit and tune into the divinity that we are always connected to, a part of the universal whole, creation. There lies your abilities to do great things and be at peace ,which is joyful, to me it is bliss. Now that you are more aware of how holding on to hurt impacts your lives you would consider forgiveness on a daily basis. That leads to less and less stored baggage weighing you down, you gradually become lighter in spirit and happier opening your heart to joy and all God has already given to us. Everyday I expect miracles, expectation of good things is hope and hope is essential to progress. I have gained increasing faith because I have witnessed the results of mini and huge miracles in my personal life and the lives of others. I have built a foundation made from balanced expectations and balance in my life. The subject of balance in life is another entry in my blog one that I will address later. For now I leave you with the five principles to contemplate from teachings I learned when studying Reiki 1( Don't get angry today. 2( Don't worry today. 3( Be grateful today. 4( Work hard today ( meditative practice). 5( Be kind to others today. Speak them once in the morning and once in the evening . For a better understanding of what Reiki is you may do your own research if you feel led for this blog is not used to teach Reiki, just as a reference. There are many roads to higher awareness learning and it is your choice which roads you take and how many paths you choose, but know, they all lead to the One God. Namaste'