Choosing Joy
Ernest Holmes wrote in his book, Think Your Troubles Away, “If we would know a God of joy, we must become joyful!”
When we feel life’s challenges, we might mistakenly think we have to give up our joy and playfulness to be upset and angry. True joy is deep happiness not based on favorable circumstances in our lives, such as the weather being to your liking, the store carrying that shoe you love in your shoe size or getting that job you wanted. True joy stays strong and is malleable like a bamboo tree, bending and bouncing back to where it was.
Joy is a spiritual quality, and when you feel it, you are experiencing the expression of Divine or Universal goodness. It’s deep-rooted inspired happiness that regenerates us.
Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “If you wish to be happy, argue with yourself on the side of happiness; take the side you wish to carry and be careful not to talk on both sides, or to argue stronger for sorrow than for joy. You are the attorney for the case and will win or lose according to your plea.”
The quote above reminds me of the Native American parable of the two wolves. A grandfather tells his grandson about a fight between two wolves happening within him. He tells him, “One wolf is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. Both wolves are fighting to the death. The same fight is going on inside you and every other person.”
The grandson takes a moment to reflect on this. Then, he looks up at his grandfather and asks, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee gave a simple reply. “The one you feed.”
Remember that you have the power of choice. You can choose how you would like to move through the world and which wolf you will feed. When you take a backward step and become the observer of your life, you can see how and where you have the power of choice. Then, standing firm in your spiritual authority, you can make new, fulfilling choices for yourself that lead to living a life you love. So enter your plea and make a strong case for joy today. You deserve it. Argue for your happiness.
This Sunday at Awakening Ways Spiritual Community, we have the founders of OhMyGod Life, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a world of Joy, providing the music and message for us with a powerful workshop following the service. So if you need a little boost with activating joy in your life, join us at 10 AM at the Pavilion on the Lake in Atascadero.
Your joy can not be taken away from you by anyone. It is a constant that lives within you, waiting for you to notice it.
And so it is.
