I remember the first day I felt amazing. What did I feel like? I felt peaceful, joyful, and I felt grounded. Nothing more was needed or wanted. I was free from anger, fear and the negativity of my past. I felt empowered, more than “good enough” and “perfect” for me. I had no need to compare myself to others. I was finally able to embrace my differences, despite past criticisms from myself and others.

Someone once asked me what joy feels like. This was my answer, “joy feels like I get to, instead of I need to or I have to”. It is a feeling that can bring you to your knees with gratitude. As I moved through my first day imbued with that feeling, I said to myself “this is enough. To experience this for even one day is enough.” What stood out for me was the contrast between decades of living with varying degrees of emotional discomfort and now one day was enough? Yes, it was.

My heartfelt wish is that someday you too experience this “amazing” feeling. What is needed to get from emotional discomfort to feeling joy, or at least feeling better? I offer these ideas which are all contained in the “pages” of my blog.
– Making new choices about anything and everything we don’t feel good about
– Doing away with self-criticism
– Learning from each experience or choice we make by looking at the outcome. Did it leave you with a good feeling or not? If not, try a different choice.
– Refusing to repeat old patterns (choices) that bring us pain
– Setting intentions for what we do want. In other words, creating the outcomes or results in our lives on purpose instead of by default. How do we do this? By taking the tiniest of steps in the direction we would like our lives to go instead of just reacting to whatever comes our way.
– Spending time daily, (just a few minutes) imagining or visualizing how we might feel when we have what we want. This exercise produces good feelings, and when we feel good we make better choices.
-Honoring or respecting your precious self by treating yourself with kindness. How? By doing more of what you love, having people in our lives who uplift us, eating healthy, and taking care of our physical body.
YOUR FEELINGS MATTER!

I believe if it’s possible for anyone to experience this feeling of joy it is possible for everyone. What about you? Do you believe your life can be any different? Can you imagine a life full of joy, kindness and experiences that leave you feeling fabulous? If you can’t, you may want to start with an intention of being able to believe it.
If you can, how about choosing one tiny new step you could take today?

Your “amazing” life is waiting for you. It is created by your choices.
What is your next choice creating?

With love, Jackie