Joy
Over the past week or so I’ve felt more consistantly joyful than I can ever remember. I have been (largely) open and relaxed, feeling healthy and strong in my body, energized, dynamic, and supple. I’ve been trying all sorts of new things; playing football, going swimming, learning to type properly, doing Pilates.
Of course, this isn’t all. Joy is not just a healthy body, but also a healthy mind and spirit. It is a state that comes about naturally, in spite of the emotional weather flowing through us. To be sure, most of my times have been spent happy, but not all, yet joy remains. Energy remains, and I feel alive with it. The secret? And perhaps I’m as surprised as you are - it’s affirmations.
Aren’t affirmations just denying reality? They can be of course, if you’re sick, just saying you are well might not feel very authentic, but the thing about affirmations is their power to work in the grey areas of life, in the areas of reality which are really just our own personal beliefs. That’s what they are really about, changing what you believe (and even finding out what you believe!) about the world and yourself to bring about a more peaceful and more joyful life. In essence, it is a celebration of desire, and a trusting that the universe wishes for us to have our desires met, just as it created our desires in the first place.
If you aren’t convinced that what you believe has any affect on reality, then consider The Optimist and The Pessimist. It is obvious that they would act very differently, and so have very different experiences. Optimism helps a person expand, to try new things, to take risks, and to get out there and chase the possibilities for happiness that exist. Pessimism restricts things, hedging bets, believing that things will go badly so it’s better to stay where you are, to hide away from life. While happiness could still come this way, it’s a limiting way of living, and you’d be forever waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Affirmations are just saying “YES” (affirmative) to life. And why not? Seeing your power, why not enjoy the pure adventure of it? Experiment with a few desires, see how they feel to say, see what you learn about the subtle ways your (mostly unconscious) beliefs have been shaping your life. Go on, go get some!