Part 3 of Thanksgiving Meditation

It's the final installment of my three-part Thanksgiving Meditation:  Being Grateful, Expressing Appreciation, and this week, Living in Joy. I firmly believe that the energy we put into the universe returns to us, also known as the Law of Attraction.

The Law of Attraction is the belief that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person's life.

You can observe this in emotional transactions. When someone is angry and frustrated and speak to others in an attacking way, the majority of the time, the person they are attacking responds back in anger. Similarly, preschool teachers use calm and quiet tones to focus the class on their learning activity - calm invites calm. 

​For our purposes, we are attracting joy into our lives. Full transparency - this doesn't abolish anger, hurt, disappointment, and other negative emotions from our lives. Cultivating joy, however, gives us a greater resiliency in navigating the challenges of life.  

MEDITATION 3: JOY
Merriam Webster dictionary defines joy as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” It is an internal state that comes when you make peace with who you are, why you are, and how you are.

Meditation Activity

Set a timer for 5 minutes (a fixed time allows you to focus without interrupting thoughts and ideas). Select one of the following visualization categories for your focus.
 > What intentions fill you with joy?
 > How do you want to show up each day?
​ > What resentment/negativity needs released?
 > What boosts your self-esteem and fulfillment?
 > How do you fill your life with positivity?

1. Grab a notebook or open up a blank document on your preferred device.
2. Write the headline from the list above, then allow your answers to the question to flow freely - unedited - writing down all the thoughts that come to mind. [there are no wrong answers]
3. As you read back through the responses that you wrote, visualize yourself enacting those words. Notice where you are, what you are doing/not doing, how others are responding to you. Pay attention to how your body feels during this visualization, creating a mind-body connection to your experience of joy.

​​The more we visualize our life lived in joy, the more we allow joy to guide our thoughts, words, and deeds. 

Have a joy-filled Thanksgiving!

Intentions that fill me with joy:

• Being fully present, not distracted by other concerns
• Listening to others to understand their point of view and hear them thoroughly
• Leaving interactions so that the other person is in a better place as a result of the connection that we made
• Offering insights that open new possibilities and positive pathways
• Being generous in my words and actions
• Being authentic and making space for others to do the same
• Letting go of judgment and encumbering expectations
• Expressing gratitude
• Being a bright spot in each day
• Choosing hope
• Smiling, laughing, having fun
• Making myself a priority in my own life