I know that for many, finding joy and happiness can feel unattainable. Feelings of depression, anxiety, stress, and low self-worth can impede our ability to really connect with our feelings of happiness and joy.
Firstly, we need to remember that joy and happiness are not dependent on external sources. We can have everything in the world and still feel unhappy. Sure, what is going on in our daily life can definitely impact our joy and happiness, but true, inner joy and empowered happiness come from within. It starts with how we see the world.
One of my favourite quotes, that literally changed my life, is by Dr. Wayne Dyer –
"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
Pause for a moment and really consider this quote. How can you change the way you look at things in your life?
Inner Joy and Empowered Happiness
When I say happiness starts from within, it's all about how we view the world, through our own individual lens, that influences our emotions. The secret to this is the connection we have with our hearts.
Neuroscience Researchers have found that we have a large number of sensory neurons and motor neurons as well as neurotransmitters not only in our brain but also in our heart. These complex neural networks in our heart, show levels of intelligence in their own way and according to mBIT (Multiple Brain Integration Techniques), the heart can be considered a brain in its own right.
While the highest expression for our Head Brain is creativity, the highest expression for our Heart Brain is compassion. This is because our heart is where our emotions are expressed and influences how we relate to others and the world around us.
HeartMath Institute has also found that by bringing our Heart into what is called Heart Coherence (essentially a balanced heart rate), we calm down our central nervous system and bring about a balance to both our heart rhythm and our brain waves.
The six KEYS to reconnecting with your Inner Joy and Empowered Happiness
Before we learn how to connect to our hearts, I want to share with you the six keys to reconnecting with our Inner Joy and Empowered Happiness. Consider how these six Keys impact your life:
- Your belief: Do you believe you deserve happiness? Do you need to forgive yourself for something that happened in the past to believe you deserve happiness?
- Honesty: Are you able to be truly honest with who you are? Are you able to be truly honest with your part in the way your life is currently playing out?
- Responsibility: Can you take responsibility for how your life is? Can you take responsibility for making changes?
- Action: Are you willing to take the physical action you need, to help you find happiness? Are you willing to take action on the previous 3 KEYS?
- Consistency: Keep going! If happiness has eluded you for a long time, it will take time to find it again. For some, it may take continual reminders and action. Consistency ensures that you can reconnect with your happiness when it seems to dissipate.
- Gratitude: Being able to find gratitude for the blessings in your life today and every day, changes the wiring in your brain over time. The more grateful you become the more you will find in your life to be grateful for and it will lead to happiness.
If you have trouble with any of these Keys a Kinesiology Coaching session may help you work through your blockages.
Connecting to your heart
Now that we have considered the six Keys to Inner Joy and Empowered Happiness, let's connect with our hearts:
- Begin by finding a place where you can relax.
- If you feel comfortable, close your eyes.
- Begin to slow your breathing. Breathe in slowly and deeply and then breathe out slowly and completely.
- Become aware of how this feels.
- Place your awareness on your heart. If you wish, you can place your hand on your heart area.
- Imagine you are breathing into your heart and out of your heart.
- Notice how this feels.
- If you wish to take this further, connect with a feeling of joy and happiness or bring to mind a memory that helps you connect with these feelings.
- As you continue to breathe into and out of your heart, allow this feeling to grow within your heart space until it completely fills your heart.
- If it feels right, allow this feeling to grow beyond your heart space until it fills your entire body and possibly even radiates out beyond your body.
- Remain in this space for as long as you wish.
By continuing this practice every day, you will awaken your heart brain and begin to rewire the neurons in your heart to be more open and connected to joy and happiness.
I hope you have found this information and exercise helpful. My wish for you is that you lead an amazingly happy and fulfilled life and remember that happiness starts with a smile and empowerment starts with the choice!
Please reach out if there is anything I can help with. I use a fusion of Kinesiology, mBIT, HeartMath, Positive Psychology and so much more to help you live the life you want ♥
