Looking for Joy? How to Catch the Joy Virus.
"Joy is prayer. Joy is strength. Joy is Love. Joy is a net of Love by which you can catch souls." Mother Teresa
I met someone who, to me, embodies Joy. Her name is Alice.
When I first heard of Alice and,learned what she had been through in her 60 years of life, I was sure I would find a lonely and depressed woman. Alice was just 42 when she suffered a severe asthma attack that put her into a coma for five days. She wasn't expected to live, but she did live. And she continues to live by "the game", as described in the book, "Pollyanna" by Eleanor H. Porter. The game is, "what you can be glad about." Of course, Alice doesn't know she is living by "the game" because she is just being authentically herself.
Alice's deep sleep left her with a neurological condition that impairs her memory and her ability to use her muscles. She spends most of her days in a hospital bed; reading books, calling friends that might need her support and lighting up a room with her laughter and joy. She doesn't feel sorry for herself. In fact, she says if she had a choice she wouldn't change anything. She may occasionally share her concern about being a burden to her husband but quickly follows it up with a giggle saying how lucky he is to have her. Alice doesn't live in the world as we know it but in her world there is absolute Joy.
As I sit and talk with Alice, there is no self-pity; only gratitude for her life and for her family and friends. Sure she would like to be able to get up and go into the kitchen to fix her family a meal but, she has found other ways to "feed" her family and nourish their spirits.
From her bed, she offers comforting and consoling words to anyone in need, and sends cards to cheer someone that may be going through a difficult time. She said she wants people to experience her as uplifting not complaining. Alice reminds us that no matter what happens to us in our lives, we too, can choose Joy. Why not let that be the virus we spread to the people we come in contact with each day?
If you are feeling joyless, start observing the people around you for signs of the Joy virus. Symptoms of joy are can be seen as uninhibited laughter, playfulness, and smiling for no apparent reason. When you see someone with Joy you will be so attracted to them, you will want to be around them. You can also catch the Joy virus by being present enough in your own life to observe what brings you Joy.
Once you catch the Joy virus, don't hold onto it. Spread it around. There are alot of souls out there who need and want to be caught in the net of Joy.
May you catch the Joy virus and, remember, pass it on.
About the Author
Nancy Bishop is a Life Coach, Writer and Speaker. She coaches busy women who want more TEA - Time, Energy and Abundance for the things that really matter in their lives. For more information, or, to subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, visit her website at www.yourlifeyourway.com.
