Become a Joywalker – Practice Loving-kindness

Become a Joywalker!

What’s a Joywalker?  A Joywalker is someone who walks a Path of Joy.

How do you walk a Path of Joy?  You walk a Path of joy by consciously making choices to do what gives you joy – over and over again.

The most dependable way to become a Joywalker is to practice kindness toward others – and towards yourself.  This kindness springs from the unconditional love that is the essence of our Divine Nature. Acts of kindness express that love and help joy flower, both in the one who offers kindness, and in the one who receives it.  There is no way in the world more powerful for creating joy than giving and receiving love

Pause for a moment and think of a time when you acted from loving-kindness.  Think of a time when someone extended loving-kindness toward you.  Really feel how that felt for you as both the giver and the receiver of loving-kindness – the warmth, the gratitude, the relief – the joy! Joy is a gift for the one giving loving-kindness as much as for the one receiving it.

It’s scientifically proven!

Research supports this timeless truth.  Two groups of subjects engaged in activities that made them happy.  One group did something for fun, like go to a party.  The other subjects performed an act of service for someone else.

Both groups experienced greater happiness at the time they engaged in their respective activities, but when tested two weeks later, only the group that had practiced kindness to others still felt pleasure related to what they had done.

You deserve loving-kindness as much as those around you

No need to limit loving-kindness to your interaction with others.  Treat yourself the same way! When you notice yourself getting hard on yourself, pause, take a deep breath and then remind yourself that you deserve kindness, too!  Then lighten up.

What you can do

Practice random acts of kindness.
Experiment with extending small kindnesses to your friends and family – just giving them a call or sending a text that tells them you are thinking of them.

Think of little favors you can do for those around you – offering to pick up a cup of coffee for someone when you’re headed out to get one for yourself or taking on a small task your spouse usually handles.

Treat yourself to something special from time to time, just because you deserve it!  Notice how you feel when you do these things.  Notice the positive effect these acts of kindness create in your relationships.

Share your gratitude.
When you think a grateful or appreciative thought, rather than keeping it to yourself, express it out loud.  Make a gift of your gratitude.

Make sure to notice the things you do that you feel good about.  Then pause for a moment, raise your right hand high in the air, reach it over your shoulder and give yourself a pat on the back.

Recognize the beauty of those around you.
When you notice someone looking good, or you admire something they’re wearing, let them know.

Spend time making note of what makes you beautiful.

A Path of Joy is made up of the hundreds of little kindnesses we extend to those around us and to ourselves.  As you make the choices to do these things, you, too, become a Joywalker!

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The more we open to the unconditional love that is always there waiting for us, the more joy and equilibrium we experience in our days here on Earth.