The Transformative Power of Acceptance: Finding a Path to Joy

We have all been there—at the bottom of the hill, staring up a mountain of goals we haven't even started working on yet, piling around us. Those goals can be something as simple as letting go of a petty grudge or as large as learning to carry grief from the loss of a loved one. With all that we have to deal with, we may ask ourselves, “When do we have time for joy?” or even “Do we have the time or bandwidth to accept the experience of joy?” The answer is in that very question. Acceptance. The transformative power of acceptance may be exactly what we need to fully embrace joy.

Why is Acceptance the Key to Joy?

Acceptance is typically known as the last stage of grief. However, most of us don't realize that recovering from grief or healing doesn’t follow a strict formula. Learning to cope with life’s challenges often comes with a learning curve. When we accept the possibility that we can no longer control the actions that lead to our current state of affairs, that can lead us to a place of releasing control in the matter.

Therefore, when we put down our sword, accepting instead of fighting what is, we surrender the illusion of control to allow the other stages of healing to occur. Once we allow acceptance back into our realm of experience, we can start to breathe and allow more space to open up into our lives. That space can be filled with joy. As long as we are willing to carve out time, we allow joy to sparkle up our atmosphere. 

 What is the Spiritual Meaning of Joy?

Joy can have many different definitions. A feeling of great pleasure and happiness is the dictionary definition of the word joy. Joy is not just limited to things you enjoy, but also peace and pleasure. You might associate it with the feeling of peace you have after seeing a dear old or new friend. Joy can be experienced through food, music, company, books, television, and various forms of entertainment.

That feeling of peace, especially after dealing with hardship, might feel scattered or rare. Although this might feel like a contradiction, accepting the hardship can help usher in so much more peace than you thought possible. Carving out the time to experience joy is paramount to accepting the possibility of joy in your life. Once you accept the possibility of joy, joy will find a way to enter your life.

Mental Wellness and Acceptance: Managing Intrusive Thoughts

Acceptance makes a big impact on the way you think. While having a clear mental frame of mind is impossible 100% of the time, we can still find peace and joy in the moments of mental clearness. Also, accepting that we are not "OK" is not a failure, nor will it prevent us from finding joy. That acceptance allows us to recognize what should be changed, as well as ushering in the awareness that we still deserve some peace and happiness. 

While we may not be able to completely change our circumstances, one of the things we can change is our thoughts. Our thoughts have immense power over our well-being. And establishing healthy boundaries between you and your intrusive thoughts can also be a great way to introduce joy back into your life.

Intrusive thoughts can send us into a vortex of self-loathing and hatred. When we follow that rabbit down that dark hole, it can be hard to get back to a place where joy feels like a possible or even acceptable emotion. The easiest way to turn that intrusive thought into a positive one is just by recognizing its existence. By accepting the thought as intrusive, we have better control to stop the trajectory of the thought’s path. When we redirect the negative to a place where it can no longer penetrate our mental hemisphere, we can feel the elevation of our spirit.

Joy Through Radical Acceptance 

Unearthing joy is way more accessible to those who are on the path of radical acceptance. When we face our healing head on, we are able to honor the pain we experienced on this path and still find we are capable of securing joy through acceptance.

The effort we make towards healing allows us to release any excess tension that keeps us in a place of low energy and depression. It is through acceptance that we can learn not only to forgive, but to appreciate, our past missteps and learn from them. This in turn frees us to focus on future progress and joyful achievements—such as a new relationship, career path, or just the courage to step out with a new sense of self-worth. 

 Maintaining Joy and Mental Well-Being in a Busy World

As alluring as mental well-being 99% of the time sounds, it takes a lot of work to secure that mind-set! In the world we live in today, with social media and news outlets bombarding us daily about intense events around the globe, we must accept that joy can be a hard path to find. Accepting who we are, in the world we live in, is crucial for finding joy.

Here are some morning rituals that can help you carve out time to bring joy back to your life.

• Secure time for movement in your life. Whether it be the latest and greatest fitness class, or a stroll around the block. Finding time for physical activity can reduce stress, increase daily productivity, help decrease anxiety and depression, and help you sleep more. 
• Morning affirmations. Give yourself permission to speak highly of yourself. Give yourself a reflective morning mirror pep talk. Set an intention into the world of what your day should reflect. Be your own cheerleader. 
• Express gratitude. Some days, we are just grateful to be awake and alive. Others, we are grateful for the cup of coffee we share with a friend or with silence in ourselves. 
• Be "OK" with not being "OK". Forgive yourself for intrusive thoughts or negative narratives. It is just a bad day, not a bad life. 
• Take 5 minutes to find the time to breathe and settle in to your day. Find a morning mantra that fits your mood for that day. As long as it resonates with you, it is a good one to use. It’s your mantra, and you are allowed to own it.

By keeping a positive mindset and using any one of these suggestions, you can set the course forward to an evolving pathway to joy.

 

Finding joy in life can be through simple things that make you happy. It does not need to feel like a chore! Even in our darkest days, we find that we innately follow a light that guides us to find security. Accepting the idea of light in the darkest in the swiftest way to find joy. Don’t sell yourself short of what you can appreciate with joy in your life. Taking time to nurture acceptance is the ultimate path to securing recurring feelings of joy. Honor yourself with love and light. And please don’t forget that joy can be secured without guilt.