Name Your Joy!

By February 7, 2011Uncategorized

Calamta Olives on pesto cover pasta. Sharing a great conversation with close friends. Walking the beach at Hanalei bay, Kauai. Surfing the waves in Hawaii’s north shore! The scent of balsam pine needles. An early morning cup of Earl Grey tea. Downhill skiing at Copper Mountain. A cold coffee milkshake on a hot summer’s day. The Big Dipper. Discovering a new piece of great classical music. A friend of mine who is a massage therapist in the Chicago area begins each massage session with her hand on the client’s shoulder speaking these words: “Name your joy!” She confided in me once that nearly every person who comes in for a massage cannot name anything! She said, “If you cannot name your joy, how can you live it?” Joy and happiness are considered the positive emotions. Eutress is the good stress that by and large, we don’t get enough of. The best definition of emotional well-being suggests that it is the ability to feel and express the full range of human emotions, and to control them, not be controlled by them. Today many people ARE controlled by their emotions, primarily the stress emotions of anger and fear. This is not good! Living your joy may seem like a simple activity, but it truth, it’s a frame of mind, and one that you can adopt in the blink of an eye! Name your joy!

Stress Tip for the Day:
OK, so… start naming your joy. Begin by making a list of all those things that bring a smile to your face and a glow to your heart. Include one from of each of the five senses and be as specific as possible. Make sure that several of these items are free (meaning they don’t cost a lot of money). When you get done (be sure to include at least 10 things), post this list somewhere where you can see it regularly (e.g., computer, cork board, bathroom mirror, fridge, etc.). Naming your joy is the first step to living your joy!

Links/Books/ Movies Worth Noting:
I have already mentioned this book, but it is so good, it bears repeating… The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner. It’s a great read about the pursuit of happiness. And… its funny.
I had the pleasure to see the movie, The Return Home, over the weekend. Based on the book, The Long Walk Home, which I also highly recommend, it depicts several men’s survival story in their attempt to escape from a Siberian prison during WWII. AMAZING!

Quote for the Day:
“Praise is the sound that joy makes.” — Matthew Fox

Photo for the Day:
One of my many joys is surfing in Hawaii. This isn’t a photo of me, even on a good day (I simply took this photo) but seeing other surf in Hawaii also brings joy to my heart. Enjoy!

Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of stress management, mind-body-spirit healing and stress and human spirituality. He is the author of over 10 books including the bestsellers, Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward, The Art of Calm, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart and Managing Stress (6E). He can be reached through his website:www.brianlukeseaward.net

© Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.

Brian Luke Seaward

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