Creating Joy
by Diane Linsley
In the coaching academy, we learned about the Law of Attraction,
which is the idea that you attract things in the outer world that
match the vibration of your inner state.
We worked with the emotional scale, which lists 22 different
emotional states from highest to lowest. We were taught many
different coaching processes to help clients shift their emotional state and move up the emotional scale, and we practiced these processes until they became second nature.
My life improved as I learned how to control my emotional state and raise my vibration. I got over a lot of emotional codependency as I practiced choosing my own vibration instead of giving away my power to other people and circumstances. This was very helpful for me as an empath.
I realized that I could be happy whenever I chose to be - not just when I got what I wanted. Happiness is a habit. This freed me from the fear of not getting what I wanted. Through experimentation, I proved to myself that inner peace and joy do not come from outer circumstances, but from my own effort. Self-discipline is the best-kept secret of happiness.
What is Joy?
The emotions at the top of the emotional scale are Joy, Knowledge, Empowerment, Freedom, Love, Gratitude and Peace. I think of these 7 emotions as different flavors of the same vibration. They all go together. If you practice one, the others also become stronger.
Joy is not the same as happiness. Joy is a spiritual experience. You can experience joy even when you are suffering because joy is in the soul. It's a vibration that grows stronger over time as you develop your soul qualities. As I've gotten older and wiser, working every day to develop the soul qualities of patience, perseverence, creativity, kindness and compassion, I have become more and more joyful.
Bill Harris says that a highly aware person can choose their emotional state at any given moment. When I first heard this, I didn't believe it. I thought that emotions just happened to me. But after many years of self-observation and experimentation, I wholeheartedly agree with Bill.
The secret to choosing your emotions is to develop the Witness. Once you become very good at watching yourself, you will discover that there's a brief moment right before you react emotionally. In this moment, you make a choice. If you don't have enough awareness, the choice is made for you by your unconscious programming and your habitual patterns.
You can change your emotional habits with daily practice. The motivation for making this change comes when you understand how your vibration is attracting every experience in your life. You will have more control over your life as you increase your emotional intelligence.
Egoic Desires Versus Soul Growth
Some of my fellow students at the coaching academy lost heart when they didn't get what they wanted after trying for several months to raise their vibration. Some people said the Law of Attraction was a Band-Aid approach and not a permanent solution to life's problems.
This fascinated me because I never expected the Law of Attraction to be the answer to all my problems. I believe that problems are designed for the growth of our souls. As soon as we overcome one problem, another one comes along to take us to the next level. It's not possible to get rid of all problems.
However, I also believe that awareness gives choice. With enough awareness, you can choose your problems. Goals are one example of consciously chosen problems.
I believe that my soul chose some difficult situations before I incarnated in order to maximize my growth at the Earth school. I'm not just a victim of other people or random accidents. I chose this belief several years ago because it is more empowering than being a victim.
I believe that my soul chose my parents because there were challenges in that situation that matched what I needed to learn. Calling the past "bad" would deny the good that came from it. It was a difficult situation, to be sure. But that doesn't make it inherently bad.
My ego and my soul often have different agendas. The ego wants money, power, comfort, and many other things. But the soul wants growth. I am trying to align my ego with my soul's purpose. This is the path that leads to peace and joy. I do this by having frequent conversations with my higher self. If you've never done this before, you might like to try my higher self meditation.
Joy is something you can choose as soon as you wake up in the morning - before anything happens to you in the physical world. With consistent practice, joy can become your set point - your normal, everyday vibration. Some part of you can always exist in joy, even when the world is falling apart. Joy isn't something that happens to you. It's something you create.
People who live in joy can experience any emotional state at any time in response to circumstances, but they simultaneously feel joy at the core of their being. Watch this inspiring video by Dr. Mercola on how joy improves your health and well-being.
Affirmations for Joy
Here are some beliefs and attitudes of the joyful person. If you like, you can adopt them as affirmations to practice raising your vibration:
I am free to choose how I respond to any situation. This knowledge empowers me and helps me to face my life with courage and joy.
I can choose to love myself and others - no matter what is happening and regardless of how others feel about me. No one can force me to hate or be negative when I want to be loving and joyful. I alone choose my emotional state.
I feel joy when I think about how much I am learning in this lifetime. I feel a sense of peace knowing that my soul is in charge of my life. I'm grateful for the love and guidance I receive from the spirit world - even when I'm not aware of it.
I know that I can feel peace and joy during meditation or quiet times in nature. With practice, I can enter into a state of peace and joy at any moment, no matter what is happening around me. I am grateful to be learning these skills.
My awareness is increasing every day. When I wake up in the morning, I can decide how I want to feel. I love knowing that I can fill every day with joy.
Here's a guided meditation for gratitude and joy.
Be well,
Diane Linsley
