JANICE CHRYSLER: Decorations, seasonal music, lights and delicious treats are popping up around the world as people prepare for the holiday season. Regardless of one’s culture or religious beliefs there are celebrations to be had everywhere.

It is so easy to be swept away by all the commercialism and materialism that we are bombarded with during this time and to become overwhelmed and lost in the sea of advertising. However, beneath all the tinsel, glitter and wrappings we need to take time to remind ourselves that one of the reasons for this season is to rediscover the inner peace, hope, love and above all joy in our lives.

If we were to believe all the advertisements we would think that true joy comes from buying the perfect gift, having all the right “stuff” in our stocking or creating the best decorated house on the block. Why is it then that we still feel empty and incomplete even after all the final touches have been done? Could it be that joy is found within our hearts and not on the outside? Is there something more that we need to uncover and understand about joy?

Yes, joy is much more than happiness, though happiness is a big part of joy.  Happiness can be fleeting, but living in joy is embedded deep within our being. It is the accumulation of all those passing moments when happiness and love were presented to us through opportunities, which provided us with our purpose then the courage to pursue that purpose. Often to know joy we have to experience the tears of sorrow, but it is through this same sorrow that we come to be nurtured and strengthened by the inner joy, which helps to take away the bitterness of grief. In our darkest hours we can go into this reservoir of joy with a knowing that we deserve to have joy in our lives and draw from this well of love the strength we need to over come any obstacle set before us.

Joy is the embodiment of love, peace and above all hope. A knowing that there is something wonderful, blessed and holy in every moment of the day especially during those times we may not see it. Joy is there to be picked like a ripened fruit from a tree. It awaits us to reach out and pluck it for ourselves, taste its sweetness then share it with others. It is up to us to make the choices necessary to have joy manifested in our lives then the understanding that for it to grow it must be shared with others. By sharing joy, we show gratitude to Spirit and the Universe for all the blessings in our lives as it is given, accepted and shared out of pure love.

During this season of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, let us all take time to rekindle that spark within and allow ourselves to become joy.                               

Steps to Becoming Joy:

• Take time to think of three things you enjoy doing.
• Have you done these things lately?  If not, think of some way to bring these activities into your life. You may have to alter them a bit to fit your present lifestyle, etc but if you really think about it there is likely a way.

• Is your time being filled with things that seem to drain you emotionally?
• Can you think of some way to eliminate these activities or shorten the time spent on them?
• What would you do with this extra time? (Perhaps go back to #1)

• Positive attitude is a must! It is very hard for joy to live when surrounded by negativity.

• Remember to “ask” for joy to come into your life.

• Be open to receive the joy when it comes. Remember it can appear at the most unusual time or place so be ready for it!

• Joy is not just for a chosen few; it is already within each and everyone of us. We just have to realize how worthy we are to receive it and it will be awakened. 

• Joy is different for each of us, depending on our journey, our awareness and our purpose.