The Joy Journals

It’s easy to believe that we live in a divided world these days.  One that is out of balance socially, economically, politically, and environmentally.  But I also believe we are out of balance spiritually. Over the years, we have allowed our moral compass to become spiritually eroded, much like we’ve allowed the land that gives us life to be physically eroded. I believe that one of the reasons for this depletion is that we have bought into the fallacy that there’s not enough to go around so therefore “the other” is our enemy. And for centuries, with the exception of indigenous peoples, we’ve treated mother earth as our property, to do with her what we want instead of respecting her as our sacred partner.   This disharmony has occurred gradually, without most of us taking much notice. That’s how insidious “the hypnosis of social conditioning” can be. But in my opinion, one of the most dangerous beliefs we hold is that there is nothing we can do to change the outcome. We’ve become victims to our own beliefs.  We feel helpless.

I absolutely love the quote for this week’s blog about the Being Joy™ habit “Be Believing”.  The first time I read it, it made me literally stop in my tracks.  At that very moment I realized how strong our beliefs really are.  How they limit or how they empower the vision we hold of what is possible. But can we really grow a new limb?  Why not?  Afterall, for eons, people believed the world was flat or that only birds could fly. And it hasn’t even been four decades since the first personal computer was sold by IBM on August 12, 1981. (Remember them?) Just look where we are now with technology advancing at warp speed, making what used to be believed as science fiction, now common place.  And think about what’s still to come! So how does this make you think about your own life?  What limiting beliefs do you own that are keeping you from remembering your joy and fulfilling your destiny?

Do you give people the benefit of the doubt or do you seek proof of their good intentions first?  Are you quick to judge and ask questions later?  Are you someone who holds your breath waiting for “the other shoe to drop”?  Do you see the glass half full or half empty? These questions are basically all one and the same.  The answers reveal your beliefs about the world and the players in it. It’s not good or bad.  It’s just how you see it. But if you are someone who struggles with poor self-esteem or worries about what bogeyman is hiding behind every door, you might want to look at how you see others.  Just as Denise Linn suggests in our opening quote, trust in people has to be reciprocal.

You’ve likely heard someone suggest that you “listen to your own truth”.  But what does that really mean? Isn’t there only one truth? The reality is that you don’t see the world the way it is.  You actually see it the way you are. It’s your beliefs that shape your experiences which in turn defines the way you interpret your world which ultimately becomes your truth. When you change your beliefs, you change your truth. But what if you’re not sure what your truth really is?  Perhaps you’ve let others define it for you. Have you let others blow your candle out? Time to take back your power.