The Joy of Discovery

Twelve days ago, following a month when I felt unusually flat, I started a personal inquiry into how I could create more joy in my life. I talked to a couple of friends about it and we began the Joy Experiment with the intention of choosing one thing in our lives each day to bring us joy. I started posting each day on facebook and then Charlotte said why not start a group there for the Joy Experiment? And so the idea began to grow and spread.

One of the biggest sources of joy for me is discovery. Because the Universe is infinite, discovery is endless, there’s always more to learn, always another adventure to be had, in both the inner and the outer worlds. So I love inquiry and experiment because they lead to the joy of discovery.

Here are some of the things I’ve discovered so far through the Joy Experiment:

It is definitely possible to choose and create joy, we don’t have to sit and wait for it to happen. Joy is present all along; it’s our true nature only, like the sun, we can’t always see it. Joy is a beautiful lightness of being, our vibrating essence. All we need to do is open to it.

Intention is a powerful magic. As soon as we intend something our psychic antennae are out sensing for it, inviting it, magnetizing it. Only three days into my experiment, I no longer had to choose to do something, I started to see and experience joy in the most everyday things, even “chores” began to reveal hidden blessings.

It’s all in the way we see it. As soon as I started to feel more joy my energy lifted and my perception shifted, I could feel myself inhabiting a different state of consciousness. I was still aware of all the challenging things happening in the world and in my own life but in a state of joy there is no fear, only trust, so problems are only situations awaiting a solution, not anything to worry about or feel bad about.

Joy is contagious; when we share it, it multiplies. Once the joy had begun to surface more joy was spontaneously created, it started to spread.

Joy is a natural feeling of confidence and success. When we’re joyful, everything we want is right here and now. Nothing is missing. It’s like a natural bubbling up of our wholeness.

Here are some of the things that stop us feeling joy: worry, anxiety, self doubt, self consciousness, pushing to achieve, blocking our feelings, fear of limitation, judgments, focusing on obstacles or lack, habit, clinging to comfort, envy: in short that little thing we call ego.  But joy even loves ego!

And then there’s the power of community and co-creation. The morning I woke up tired and niggly, there was the Joy community waiting for me with music and beauty and meditations. I remembered, none of us has to do this alone, and simply by expressing ourselves and showing up we encourage each other.

I’m sure there’s more!  Yes, more and more joy to be revealed and more and more discovery. I’d love to hear you’re enjoying these days. Join us on facebook, http://facebook.com/rosediamond7

Here’s what the Bhagavad-Gita has to say about it:

But when a man finds delight

within himself and feels inner joy

and pure contentment in himself,

there is nothing more to be done.

Rose Diamond, February 6 2011