- Choosing Joy -

 Each new day we wake to meet the dawn; we are given an opportunity to create our life. We can easily choose the direction we will take with each and every step on our path. Life has a way of becoming routine, regimented and structured - we can easily find ourselves looking back over the past month - six months or even years and see that life has continued - as we have continued to be in it.

 When looking back at these days, weeks, months or years, how do you see yourself? Do you have happy, joyful and pleasant memories to reflect on or do you see stretches of time where sadness seemed to dominate? This is not sadness that comes from grief or the passing of a loved one, but the sadness that we allow when others project their messages on us - and we take them on and allow them to dictate our own emotions.

 You may have found in the past that someone would cause you to be sad. You may feel or say to this person “Why did you do this to me?” or “Why do you want to hurt me or cause me to feel bad?” It is a natural response to blame another for how we feel, since it seems to be their words, behaviors or actions that are causing our emotional response.  

While it is natural to feel hurt by someone’s words, it is also important to let that go. Try to step back and look at the situation without your emotions and see what they are working through that would cause that statement or behavior.

What I have learned over time is that we allow others to dictate our own emotions by granting them that ability. We have the choice to allow this or not.  This decision is often not made on a conscious level as it is based from a space of emotions or ego. 

When these situations occur, it is important for us  to inwardly acknowledge “this is not about me, this is about you and I won’t allow you to project your stuff onto me” Remember that no one can make you sad except you - likewise, no one can make you happy, except you..

I feel people are in our lives as a refection of ourselves - like attracts like - so when you find yourself feeling wonderful, joyful and happy, you will rarely see someone who is sad or angry - your energy field will not attract this type of individual to you. Consider the old saying “misery loves company” it’s a common attraction of like attracts like - whether it’s a pleasant or not so pleasant energy. 

Once you acknowledge you create and choose your own joy or sorrow, you can look back on your life here forward and know you were always in control - you are the powerful creator. It is not to say don’t be there for those who need you in their times of sorrow, grief or frustration - but choose not to take responsibility for others emotions or allow yourself to be manipulated by their associations which may not be your own. It is no more your role in this lifetime to fix other peoples “problems” than it is for them to resolve yours. We are each responsible for our own individual happiness - sadness and joy. We choose to create each of these emotions consciously or not. Allow yourself the awareness of this message and Choose Joy. Namaste