GETTING TO JOY IN A CLIMATE OF FEAR

FEAR: noun, a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

If you have a friend dealing with a challenging life event, what do you say? "You should fear the worst! Everything is going to be horrible for you." Or do you help your friend find and maintain a positive outlook? I venture to guess it is the latter. In every circumstance, the ability to foster a positive outlook is a life skill that has proven to be beneficial time and time again. Why is this true? Because fear breeds more fear, positive thoughts generate more positive thoughts. Which do you prefer?

Thanks to pioneers like Norman Vincent Peale, Abraham Hicks and Louise Hay we are now, more than ever, aware of the power of positive thinking. The Celestine Prophecy, The Secret, The Four Agreements; all of these books continue the hypothesis that we are continually creating our existence through our thoughts. If we focus our attention on fearful thoughts, then our situations, events or relationships will reflect fear back to us in some way. This is true on a personal level and is also true on a national and global level when the collective thinking is one of fear.

In many of life’s circumstances it can seem nearly impossible to cross the hurdle that stands between a fearful outlook and a positive outlook. However, once that hurdle is crossed there is an opportunity for peace, joy, and contentment. None of which can exist in a sustained way when fear is present. Peace, joy and contentment are certainly excellent alternatives to fear.

When you are in a situation that triggers a "fear button" it's important to find a way back to positivity. Fear can only drag you down to a dark, ominous place characterized by the phrase, "the depths of despair." Fear manifests itself in darkness (negative thoughts, feelings or emotions), it cannot exist in light (positive thoughts, feelings or emotions.) I've tried to maintain fear at the same time as I experienced joy, and it made me laugh at the absurdity of this very truth; positive thoughts or feelings, wipe out fear with the efficiency of Clorox.

You may be thinking "that sounds good on paper, but those are only words, easier said than done."

Here are 6 ways to help you get back to the power of positive thinking:

[if !supportLists]1. Seek out simple events that trigger your "Joy Button." Sometimes this requires concentrated efforts. For many people, myself included, it is an ongoing process of learning how to be at peace while the ebb and flow of turmoil spins all around.

2. Joy is a choice. Choose joy moment by moment; each moment presents you with the opportunity to find joy.

3. Foster gratitude for the blessings you have in your life. The more you remind yourself of your blessings the easier it becomes to maintain your grateful heart when you are faced with a fear-inducing challenge.

4. Use affirmations daily. You can write your own, and there are books filled with them, Louise Hay perfected the use of affirmations as a means of achieving goals. Whether your goal is impeccable health or fostering more joy in your life there is an affirmation for that.

5. Get yourself in Nature. It can be anyplace where there are trees, plants or flowers. The gifts from Mother Earth are endless, and finding beauty in the things around us is a simple way to foster contentment.

6. Keep LOVE as your mantra, fear can't live where there is LOVE.[if gte vml 1]><o:wrapblock><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"></v:path> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"></o:lock> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="officeArt_x0020_object" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:-.5pt;margin-top:23pt; width:468pt;height:302pt;z-index:251662336;visibility:visible; mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:12pt; mso-wrap-distance-right:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:12pt; mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:margin; mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:line' strokeweight="1pt"> <v:stroke miterlimit="4"></v:stroke> <v:imagedata src="file:////Users/redstockings2002/Library/Group%20Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" o:title=""></v:imagedata> <w:wrap type="topAndBottom" anchorx="margin" anchory="line"></w:wrap> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif][if gte vml 1]></o:wrapblock><![endif]

Under any circumstance it is impossible to eliminate fear with fear. Doubt and resistance are hallmarks of fear, and will only create more fear. The light of your joy, your peace, your grateful heart, your contentment; these are places where fear cannot live.

Keep in heart and mind that you are always creating your experience. Therefore be MIND-FULL and HEART-FULL and SOUL-FULL about the "thinks you are thinking." (Dr. Seuss was right on the money!) What you think is what you create. Feel whatever emotion you are having; feel it to its core but bring everything back into Your Light. Your Light will always bring you to the place of joy. The place you were meant to be.[if gte vml 1]><o:wrapblock><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"></v:path> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"></o:lock> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="officeArt_x0020_object" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:58.05pt;margin-top:18.85pt; width:340.7pt;height:227.15pt;z-index:251663360;visibility:visible; mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:12pt; mso-wrap-distance-right:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:12pt; mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:margin; mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:line' strokeweight="1pt"> <v:stroke miterlimit="4"></v:stroke> <v:imagedata src="file:////Users/redstockings2002/Library/Group%20Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" o:title=""></v:imagedata> <w:wrap type="topAndBottom" anchorx="margin" anchory="line"></w:wrap> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml]