Welcoming Joy

'Find out where joy resides, and give it a voice far beyond singing. For to miss the joy is to miss all' - Robert Louis Stevenson

This voiceover is an audio version of my Slow Sunday Letter below. It is unedited, so may have some stutters, imperfections, and background noise. I hope you enjoy listening to it anyway!

Welcome to Generosity of Spirit, a space to share my slow and gentle living philosophy, alongside my love of books and reading. Please do subscribe to join me on this gentle journey of discovery and receive my Slow Sunday Letter straight into your inbox.

Welcome back to another Slow Sunday Letter! I hope you have had a slow and gentle week.

This week’s Slow Sunday Letter is inspired by

Beth Kempton

SoulCircle Writing Community and our Journal Note Prompt ‘JOY’. I’ve been pondering the difference between happiness and joy. It would seem that the most common response to this, is that happiness is relatively short-lived, whereas joy is a more long lasting state of being. While there are slight nuances to this, one thing that is mostly agreed upon is, the fact that they are not the same…

Joyful living is about creating a life that is deeply you - that reflects your core, your true values and deepest desires. Welcoming joy starts with living authentically and aligning your daily actions with your sense of purpose and what makes you feel good. To embrace joyful living is to weave it into the very fibres of your life, and the making of your every day. It is a conscious choice as well as a feeling swelling inside.

‘Joy is more complex. It’s that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you hear your child’s laughter, embrace your sweetheart, or cuddle a puppy... It’s a subconscious, almost visceral feeling that appears to stem from the brain’s limbic system, which is believed to control emotions, including pleasure. Unlike happiness, joy involves little cognitive awareness—you just feel good without thinking about it—but it’s more enduring.’ - Jessica Cerretani

So grab a cuppa, get cosy and let’s see how we can welcome in joy and build a joyful life…

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Welcoming Joy

“True joy results when we become aware of our connectedness to everything.” —Paul Pearsall

Over the past few years I have been hyper focused on creating a life that feels good, peaceful, nourishing and authentic to me, all whilst using slow and gentle living as a guiding philosophy. I think in a way, I may not have been giving joy enough space and attention in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy, perhaps happier than I have ever been, but I have been prioritising peace and calm, and while that makes me happy, I am not sure I have felt that sweet eruption of joy as often as I could.

I believe joy is a choice, that we have the power to manifest in our lives. So I am opening the door, and welcoming in joy.

I want to celebrate my beautiful, little, slow life as often as I can.

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Be Open To Joy

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” —Henri Nouwen

I love the uninhibited joy in children, and I think we can learn a lot from their free, spirited pursuit of joy. As adults, we tend to filter ourselves more, put ‘sensible’ limits on ourselves. I am committing to joy for the rest of the year, and I am going to embrace whatever lights me up, and I really want to encourage you to do the same!

Learn to knit, make more time for art, take dance or cookery classes, join a book club, buy a new bike, re-decorate your home, hike a beautiful trail, start running, go traveling and discover new places, help someone, jump on a swing set the next time you pass a park, spend an afternoon in a book store, buy a new notebook, give to charity, dip your feet in the sea and walk along the beach, start a new job, buy a new houseplant, write that book, go and laugh with friends, get some new pyjamas, sing in the car, dance in the kitchen, take your duvet downstairs and watch your favourite movie on the sofa, go for coffee and cake, do good deeds, take an evening walk and watch the sunset, leave joyful WhatsApp voice notes for family and friends, buy fresh flowers, play games, bake bread, buy a new favourite mug, spend some time in your garden, sit in your local park, support your people, hug often, journal, spend time with animals, compliment people, volunteer your time, plan holidays, plan a date night with a loved one, put your phone down and connect with what and who is around you, dig out old photos and spend time looking through them, go on long slow dinners with friends or family, learn something new, take afternoon naps …

Let

the

joy

in,

and let it flow through you in whatever form calls to you - let’s spend the rest of this year saying yes to joy.

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Joyful Gratitude

Gratitude is fundamental to feeling and experiencing joy. I really recommend Angela Scanlon’s wonderful book Joyrider.

'Gratitude is your soul's superfood, but cheaper than goji berries, and twice as good for you. I like to think of it as mindfulness for cynics or the "gateway drug" to spirituality.’ - Angela Scanlon

Angela writes with honesty and infectious enthusiasm, she shows how we can invite gratitude into our lives and how transforming that choice can be. This could be through gratitude journaling, making time for meditation, being thankful, or simply by taking a moment to acknowledge your blessings.

Of course this isn’t to ignore sadness, anger or advocate blind optimism or toxic positivity- the world is tough and can be a very scary place at times. We are exposed to a lot of deeply upsetting world news and times in our lives and in the lives of those we love that are tremendously hard and difficult. We experience joy and sadness, but I do believe it is possible to be both grateful and sad. When we take the time to soothe ourselves, fill our cup a little, I believe we then have more capacity to help others, and make a positive difference to the world around us.

Rise and Shine

Since reading The Artist Way by Julia Cameron, I have been writing morning pages every day which has encouraged me to take an altogether slower approach to the mornings. I have noticed a huge difference in my mood and wellbeing, since I started going to bed earlier and waking up a little earlier. Devoting more time to create a slow morning routine, has been really impactful for me. I love waking up gently, making my morning tea and sitting (normally back in bed) to read a little, and write my morning pages. It is only about thirty minutes, but just taking this time to rise slowly, and set my intentions for the day has really instilled a sense of calm and joy in me from the moment I wake up. It is a practice cultivated around welcoming joy.

Joyful Hobbies and Activities

I think a wonderful way to inject more joy into your life is through your hobbies and play, make time for activities that you love and enjoy. Have fun and lots of it! I have been making sure I prioritise my hobbies this year, giving them the weight they deserve as an important part of my life.

If you are unsure what hobbies and activities bring you joy, I suggest thinking back to what you used to love to do as a child- How would you play? What would bring you joy? Sit and journal with this a little while, and then use it as a catalyst to think about your adult life and how you could find ways for more ‘play’.

In devoting more time to your hobbies and activities you will learn more about what you enjoy and what you don’t. I think it is also important to try new things, but to also give yourself permission to move on if it isn’t the right fit. This constant curious creative exploration will encourage more joy, if you let it.

Happy Memories

‘Happy memories are like sunshine on a rainy day, warming the soul and painting the sky with colours of joy’ - unknown

Memories are our gateway to the past- recalling memories or reminiscing, can be a way to encourage positive emotional energy and improve your mood. When we recall happy times, our brains release dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of happiness, joy, pleasure and satisfaction. It can be as simple as journaling your memories, scrapbooking, looking through old photos, listening to old music, watching a classic movie or sharing stories and memories with friends and family.

Allowing your mind to wander back to cherished memories, helps us access the joy in our lives, experiences, connections, friends and family.

Spread the Joy!

Have you ever lost time to watching funny videos online? Or laughed when someone else is laughing?

‘Emotional contagion refers to the phenomenon in which a person unconsciously mirrors or mimics the emotions of those around them. Emotional contagion can be triggered by nonverbals such as facial expressions as well as by overt conversational or behavioural cues: A smile can spread from one person to another, and someone who is complaining can bring someone else down.’ - Psychology Today

Spread joy around as much as you can! If you love something tell someone, be generous with your compliments, pay forward good deeds, volunteer or give to charity, be generous with your time, send letters to family and friends, buy little thoughtful gifts for the people you love, celebrate small wins, be enthusiastic, relish in the simple joys in life, encourage your people and let them know how great they are, smile and laugh often!

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Joy : Journal Prompts

What are three words/phrases that come to mind when you think of joy?

What are your top three values in life?

List out ten things that fill you with joy make you feel comforted, present, inspired, and happy.

What upcoming situation could use a little joy? How can you bring joy into that experience?

Think of a time you were awe struck by beauty - (natural beauty, in a friend, family member, emotion) - describe it and how it made you feel…

Write two “I am” statements that make you feel powerful.

If you could talk to your ten year old self, what would you say?

Describe a perfect, ordinary day in your life.

Anything is possible - think of something you would like to try/do, what fills you with excitement?

What’s one thing you can do right now welcome joy?

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Joyful Book Recommendations

The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu

The Joy of Small Things by Hannah Jane Parkinson

The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary by Catherine Gray

The Electricity of Every Living Thing by

Katherine May

Little Things: A positive toolkit for when life feels stressful by Fearne Cotton

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I hope you have enjoyed this week’s Slow Sunday Letter - I am so looking forward to focusing on and welcoming more joy into my life, and I invite you to do the same. Joy is all about connection, so I encourage you to practice gratitude, focus your energy on the people and things that bring you happiness and encourage positive energy.

Let’s welcome joy in and then spread it all around!

I would really love to know your thoughts and if any of this resonated with you - if you feel able, please do share in the comments.

Thank you for being here,

With Light & Love

Emily xxx

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