I recently read a post on social media that said, “the gap between what your Soul loves and the amount of time you spend doing I, will be the amount of your unhappiness”.
Yikes.
Folks, it’s time to get happy.
We are in another time of huge energetic shifts. And, this time of a shift is specifically focused on gaining clarity on what brings us joy and what does not. It’s not about never ever doing things that need to be done just because we don’t love them. I will still clean my house and do my bookkeeping, things that I really have no joy in, but nonetheless need to be done in order for certain things like healthy environments and money matters to be maintained. I’m talking about how much other bullshit we spend our time doing because we have been told we’re supposed to be in some level of pain, and has nothing to do with what brings us joy.
As a woman, I believed for decades that the world expected me to do more grueling crap than men were expected to do, just because of stupid gender roles. For example, women take care of the kids and house (for the record, I love children, but do not enjoy housework) and men go to work to make money. Then, I started working with more men, and recognized we’re often in different boats, but using the same paddles. I recognized it was a pervasive mindset issue, not a gender issue. The expectation seemed to be that what brings us joy should be what we do last, “work first, play later”. So we only get to have fun or be in joy if we’ve paid the price for it in advance…if we deserve it.
Painful. Just. plain. painful.
No wonder so many of us have worthiness and deserving issues. Our “hard work” mindsets which many of us were raised with, give us repeated messages of not being enough to deserve abundance, ease, grace, and self-forgiveness because we haven’t done enough to deserve any of those things. And we call it play, like children who have no responsibilities. So our joy, our relaxation, our true forms of self-care and self-reflection gets regulated to the same level of entitlement of children who don’t know what it’s like to be responsible for anything such as behaving like adults…because apparently the adult world is supposed to suck?
Here’s the deal, if you were not raised by people who taught you that you needed to work hard, and play later, if later enough ever came to be able to “play”, I’m super happy for you. and Please lead the way in teaching the rest of us what healthy balance looks like while we find our way towards it. Thank you in advance.
If, like me, you were raised by, not just those people but by that culture, then stick with me because you, my friends, are my audience on this one.
For the love of self and everyone in your life, do one thing every single day that gives you joy. Take one nap, go for one walk outside, read for one break period, call one friend out of the blue to chat and laugh, work on your craft for one-half hour, ride your bike or your snowmobile around the block, and then find a longer bigger block for one more block. Give to yourself. We are dying from “trying” slowly inside of ourselves because with the old mindsets in place, we will never “earn it” enough, and Spirit isn’t tolerating it anymore.
I am seeing more people with anxiety, depression, resentment, anger, fear, and grief that is resurrecting after years and decades of being buried, not because you’ve done something wrong, but because Spirit has always seen you as “right” and “enough” and it needs you to know that.
You are a gift, you are enough, there is no deserving, or earning, or working hard enough to be worthy of your joy. You are joy, you were created by Spirit in joy and your Soul came here in joy to hit the playground because, in the eyes of our Spirit, this is the playground.
This time of energetic shift is totally about getting clear on what brings us joy, and to do that, because we are human, we often have to experience what is not joy for us to know the difference. That’s all it is. It is not personal, it is not punishment, and you aren’t doing anything wrong. In fact, the total opposite. Spirit wants you in your joy, it experiences joy with us, so when we are in joy, Spirit is in joy, so MORE JOY, PLEASE.
Truly, this time is about recognizing what works for you and what doesn’t so you can begin to unravel the old imprint and bring into consciousness what serves you best in your being that is the true core of your life.
Follow it daily. And while you’re following it remember to say “Yes, this is joy to me!!” so there is absolutely no doubt in you what it is, and that you are clear.
It’s a time to ditch the old that is sucking the life out of us and to gravitate towards more joy that fills our inner tank to the brim.
Forever the journey, Anne