Published:
August 1, 2023
Originally recorded:
September 3, 2022
We are still getting our joy on!
Today, I am going to share with you 3 simple things I do to get my joy on.
1) Share and share radically: when you give to others and share with them there is no faster shortcut to joy.
2) Change your routine: when you wake up and do the same thing day after day of course you aren’t going to look forward to your days. Every day should be different.
3) Find ways to play: I’m always looking for fun. I love to get up and dance. I will do that throughout the day. If I’ve been sitting too long, I put on my favorite Jon Bon Jovi song and rock it out. Don’t worry about making a fool of yourself. If you feel foolish you’re onto something 😉
4) Take a real break: this one’s hard for me but so important. Make sure you are carving out time for YOURSELF.
If you repeat these things every single day you’ll be surprised at how happy you feel, and it was nothing external. It’s simply an internal shift where you are able to live fully in the present.
Today, we’ll learn one more powerful tool for creating—and increasing—the happiness and joy in our lives: sharing.
Our life’s purpose, according to Kabbalah, is to transform our innate Desire to Receive for the Self Alone into a Desire to Share. On a physical level, simple acts of sharing boost our immune system, relieve pain, and even make our hearts stronger. On a spiritual level, acts of sharing expand our vessel to create more room for the Light to come in, which in turn connects us to happiness. In Kabbalah, we call this type of sharing transformative sharing, where we share with those whom we don’t want to, when we don’t want to, and in ways that are uncomfortable.
Kabbalah teaches that nothing will make us feel good in the long run if we are not going outside of ourselves to help others. When you feel unhappy or negative emotions, practice random acts of kindness.
We create more joy when we share. We bring happiness to those we share with, and because we tap into our soul’s true nature, we also experience great joy—the kind that isn’t dependent on what is happening around us or to us. When we feel the joy of giving, our own frustrations and challenges take a back seat.
Furthermore, happiness is contagious. Sociologist Nicholas Christakis did a 20-year study at Harvard University, proving that emotions can pass up to three degrees of separation amongst a network of people. By choosing to share and create more happiness in your life, you can create a positive ripple effect and impact others you don’t even know!
In your list of “Happiness Goals,” you identified areas of your life where negative thinking may be detracting or distracting from your happiness. With those areas in mind, list ways you can bring more sharing into your daily routine. Some examples are offering to pick up lunch for a coworker or taking care of an errand or chore for your roommate or partner. Identify specific acts of sharing rather than general ideas, and as always, make your goals realistic and sustainable, and write them down.
Most of all,believe that you deserve happiness and joy in your life!Like anything else, it will take practice and commitment. Ask yourself every morning: “How can I create more joy today for myself and others?”
One of the great gifts in studying Kabbalah is that we become more aware of the energies around us. Each day, week, and month has its own unique energy with differing powers that inform us. This month of Virgo is one of the most consequential months of the year, full of the energy of deep transformation. Over the next 30 days, we will assess, evaluate, and rethink 10 of the most important areas of your life. First, we will look at what is working and what isn’t working. I will help you identify your desire – the thing that you really want for that area of your life–not the thing you only think you want, or think you should want, or what others think you should want. From there, you will make your plan. You’ll make it actionable, doable, and motivating. I’m so excited and grateful that you are all joining me on this journey to rethink, reframe, recalibrate, and re-energize your life.