The Law of Attraction Loves Your Joy
They say that often, your children end up being your greatest teachers. And that is true for me. This time, I want to shine a spotlight on my bonus daughter because she is a manifesting magnet – probably without even realizing it.
How does she do this? She's a HELL YEAH for her dreams.
And in doing so, she attracts more opportunities. Every time she says HELL YEAH, another door opens for her. And she says it just like that too. Or sometimes it's "SURE!" Or "REALLY?!" But it's never, "I guess so."
I mean, seriously. It's like she's got the Universe on Amazon Prime. Opportunities appear with the same regularity as packages arrive on my doorstep. I'll give you an example. She recently played the lead in our High School production of Mamma Mia. The music has a live accompaniment by our Band Director. After working together, he asked her to be a vocalist for the jazz band. You can guess what her answer was. "HELL YEAH!"
She had never really sung jazz music before but guess what? She LOVES it. Within days of joining, she was asked to accompany the band to a competition where she won an award. Seriously?! It gets better! One of the jazz ensembles asked her to be a vocalist for them... you get the picture.
These opportunities came about because K was already doing what she knows brings her joy. She's not thinking, "Perhaps this will be a career thing for me, or it will look good on college applications." She's thinking, "This makes me happy, so YES!" To clarify, this blog post is NOT about always saying yes. That can lead to burnout and resentment. A blog post for another day! This is about recognizing your true intention before moving forward. What you choose to do needs to be meaningful for you.
Now granted, K is a teenager and doesn't have bills to pay or dependents. I'm not diminishing her gold-star, law-of-attraction status, but adults like you and me may have lost sight of our joy amidst juggling our responsibilities. Or, what we used to enjoy no longer floats our boat, and not sure where it lies anymore. This takes reimagining the current structures and routines in your life.
Here is a simple process to help gain clarity around this:
Get quiet for 10-15 minutes. Clear any thoughts and ask, "What brings me joy?" See what comes to you. Allow. Don't force.
Grab a blank piece of paper and title it: What Fills My Heart With Joy.
Ready. Set. Go! Jot down your laundry list. It can be simple things like going for a nature walk or connecting with a loved one far away. Napping could be at the top of your list. It doesn't matter so long as it brings some level of joy.
Look at your list. Are you currently incorporating these items into your life? If not, ask yourself where you can squeeze in your joy. Jot down these thoughts next to the respective line item.
Start tweaking your life to include these things.
Revisit your list to change or update as needed.
Revisiting your joy list can make you aware of any pre-existing and self-imposed limitations.
For example, I love hiking and don't do it as much as I'd like, as the decent hiking trails are a car ride away. When I saw that on my list, I asked myself how to fit more of that in. I decided that on my lunch break at work, I could go on walks on the grounds. It's not exactly hiking, but it gets me away from my desk and moving my body amidst nature. I even placed my hiking shoes in the car to always be ready to go.
Since having enacted lunchtime walks, my middle child, who will be off to college in the fall, has asked me to go hiking with her THREE WEEKENDS IN A ROW. This is huge because soon she (and a chunk of my heart) will be off to school several states away. And because SHE asks, I always say, "HELL YEAH!" I make sure I carve out the time. Sometimes that means leaving the house by 7:30 am. To me, it's worth it. By the way, family time was also on my list. See that? The Universe multitasks as well!
I also had reading, spending time on my patio, and watching movies listed too. More of that is happening now because I'm opening myself up to it and saying, "HELL YEAH." When you set and live by your own rules that are led by joy, peace, or satisfaction (of any kind) you change your path according to your values and not by shoulds. New possibilities or opportunities will land right in your lap. But remember, it's on you to HELL YEAH the moment. And each time you do, that cues the Universe to say, "Oh yeah, she wants more of this!"
So what brings you joy? When was the last time you enjoyed it?
Give it a try, and let us know how it goes!
xo,
Carolyn