November 28, 2022
I am the joy of Life expressing and receiving. ~ Louise Hay
Joy is a challenge for me, which probably explains why I’ve been presented with it as my quest.
A situation bubbled into awareness this summer, something I neither expected nor wanted. And it seemed unlikely to be going away quickly or easily, at least not according to earthbound measurements. After some initial panic and fear, my next reaction was, okay, this may be so. But now, this frees me to seek joy.
It was like shutting off one lifelong channel and suddenly switching to another. I wondered, what can I do that I’ve been telling myself I can’t do? Can I allow myself to partake of Santa Barbara‘s delights? I live in a town that is a worldwide vacation destination and I haven’t been to the beach in years.
Can I permit myself to enjoy my magical hometown, without needing any excuse other than it’s what I want to do?
*****
I had a session with Dr. Peebles about a month ago to discuss the newly discovered, unlovely thread in the tapestry of my life. I didn’t say a word about suddenly seeking joy, yet this is what he said:
Dr. Peebles: We don’t want you to overwhelm yourself with picking this apart, or telling the story of it. Because we really see this, as you’re already seeing it, as what one might call a wakeup call. It’s a little knock at the door that says, hello, it is time for you to focus, yet again, upon the things that bring you joy.
I deeply appreciate the bubbling-over, ebullient, laughing-with-friends version of joy. But since I’m solitary much of the time, I am more likely to access joy if I alertly perceive, engage with, and experience my immediate world. As Dr. Peebles noted, “Remember that joy doesn’t always have to be laughing so hard your sides ache. Joy can also be a very contented sense of peace.”
*****
I told Dr. Peebles, “I feel like I’ve jumped tracks from trying to be joyful, wanting to have fun, but not knowing how to do it, to ‘Anything can be joyful. Everything can be joyful.’ I almost feel as if there is nothing that does not have the potential of joy. Does that make sense?”
His response: “Absolutely. It makes one hundred percent sense. We’re very proud of you for tapping into it. Everything has the potential for joy. And usually, everything has a potential for joy right upon the surface, you don’t even have to dig for it. There are some situations or circumstances in life, that it would be a little more difficult to find the joy in, but certainly, many, many things in your life right here and right now have access to joy very easily. So, wonderful. Keep up the good work that you’re doing by participating in the joyfulness as often as you can.”
*****
I am often seeking peace. It’s the metaphysical carrot that dangles in front of my deepest soul yearning. So, to include joy in the recipe simply adds another layer to the deliciousness of my cake of peace.
Dr. Peebles also encouraged me to observe if aspects of martyrdom (an embedded coping mechanism) show up. “Because many times, people will say, ‘You’re strong, I know you’ll make it through.’ And you say, ‘I know that I will, too, thank you.’ You don’t have to correct them, when they might tell you how much of a wonderful martyr you are, or how heroic you are. But you also don’t have to participate in their story.”
I really can create my own narrative. It’s up to me to consciously tell my mind what to focus on and what story to tell myself.
And right now, I’m reminding myself to tell the story of joy.
Dr. Peebles, channeled through Natalie Gianelli, nataliegianelli.com