Sunday, September 21, 2008

My Choice Will Always Be For JOY


Every morning, I spend about an hour doing some inspirational reading followed by prayer, meditation and journaling. Today, my mind quieted more easily than normal for this routine. I seemed to slip into that space below my thoughts where peace resides, very quickly. Since I have traveled to this space more times than I can count, it was familiar. When I rest here, all problems waiting for solutions, all questions waiting for answers and all dilemmas waiting to be solved lose their importance. In fact, they are no longer on my screen. It's almost as though my mind changes channels.

As I was enjoying this sense of complete peace and joy, I was reminded that no matter what is present in my life in regards to potential negative issues, I can always find joy here. This thought was not new for me, but for some reason, it took on a deeper meaning today.

As I continued to enjoy my mind being tuned into this channel, thoughts of things I have been wanting in my life began to march through. These included some particular work opportunities, some renovations to my home, losing some weight, getting my computer back, taking Project: Inside Out to the next level, to name a few.

As I allowed myself to look at these things from this dwelling place of peace and joy, I noticed they were less important than what I was feeling. I don't mean that I will not still move in the direction of bringing them into my life, it's just that feeling the joy that was present in the moment, was more important than acquiring or accomplishing the things on my mental list.

In other words, if I had the choice of having all external things fall into place in my life, or feel the joy and peace I was feeling in that moment, I'd take the joy and peace, hands down.

What was so liberating was that I was actually making a choice that freed me. I was also realizing in a new way that JOY comes without a price. It is unconditional and is always available, no matter how long my list of "wants" may be.

My goal is to remember this lesson when my mind gets anxious, upset or impatient about the endless list of things to do, buy or create. My ultimate choice will always be for JOY, no matter what.

1 comment:

Beverly Keaton Smith said...

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