Rekindling Joy

By Tanis Helliwell

“You can discover more about a person in a day of play than in a year of conversation.” Plato

Attitudes that Defeat Joy

When we are serious, stressed out and fearful our life is filled with misery. We cannot enjoy our family, friends and work. We compare our lives to that of others and find ours lacking. We sink into melancholy and depression. Sound familiar?

In this depressed state we repeat old patterns at life and work and are reluctant to try anything new. We feel threatened by changes in our environment and jealous of others who are enjoying themselves. Even previous successes feel stale in our mouth, although we try to cling to them to assure ourselves that we are doing a good job.

Six Ways to Rekindle Joy

1. Approach every situation you face with the spirit of adventure. As Helen Keller, born deaf and blind, said, “Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing.” Bring this attitude into your life and work and you will find that you open yourself to learn and grow through every situation you encounter.

2. Enjoy yourself like children do. Children have a way of interacting with others and their environment that is totally fresh as if seen for the very first time. This same quality of joyful engagement is also found in enlightened beings such as his holiness the Dalai Lama. You can encourage your own inner child by being spontaneous, and lighthearted.

3. Bring play into your work. This can be done is so many ways. In my office one of the staff members continually refers to others by affectionate nicknames such as pumpkin or cupcake. No-one takes offence and it sets a tone of informal affection. In addition, her notes to others are accompanied by little drawings and lots of colours, just like a kid with a drawing pad. They are always interesting to read.

4. Pamper yourself. Give yourself and other staff members flowers every week. Also, take time to enjoy each other’s company by going for a drink together every few weeks or once a month or by eating together after your staff meeting. Building relationships with coworkers by informal get-togethers is essential for good working relationships.

5. Inspire yourself and others.  Put pictures around the office of what the staff have accomplished together. Hang up slogans and quotes that uplift you and others. You can also circulate little jokes or stories by email weekly that have a positive message.

6. Work a healthy amount of hours. This can vary between individuals but this is seldom more than forty hours per week. Occasionally it might be necessary to work overtime but if we do this we need to be sure to take a break the next week to reclaim our equilibrium.

Tanis Helliwell, a mystic in the modern world, has brought spiritual consciousness into the mainstream for over 30 years. Since childhood, she has seen and heard elementals, angels, and master teachers in higher dimensions. Tanis is the founder of the International Institute for Transformation (IIT), which offers programs to assist individuals to become conscious creators to work with the spiritual laws that govern our world.

Tanis is the author of The High Beings of Hawaii, Summer with the Leprechauns, Pilgrimage with the Leprechauns, Embraced by Love, Manifest Your Soul’s Purpose, Hybrids: So You Think You Are Human and Decoding Your Destiny.

For information on Tanis’ courses, click here.