Cultivating Joy

March 26, 2022 - By Jim

I often remind myself and others that Life is a game, and games are supposed to be fun. Life is filled with ebbs and flows – learning to celebrate both the wins and the opportunities to learn will train your mind. The last few years have been a powerful reminder to all of us that life is a precious gift.

I never lose. I either win or I learn.
Nelson Mandela

I recently received some unexpected news that one of the greatest mentors in my life had passed. The news came to me two minutes before I was going live on my weekly podcast, which was a great opportunity for me to refocus my mind on the present moment. Over the last few weeks I recognized that the news brought up many different emotions for me. One of the biggest lessons I have learned in the last few years is the importance of allowing your emotions to run to and through you.

I decided that I wanted to use my mentor’s passing as an opportunity to challenge my old ways of thinking and being. A question that keeps coming up for me has been…

“What can I do to 10x the amount of people I am currently helping and serving?”

As my mentor taught me, the quality of the questions you are willing to ask yourself will ultimately determine your overall quality of life. This simple idea reminds me just how powerful the daily practice of self-reflection and journaling can be for anyone. The daily practice of asking myself challenging and tough questions has been one of the keys to creating greater results in all areas of my life. Asking yourself challenging questions prompts you to actually stop and think which is a habit that will transform your life.

From my self-reflection practice I gained greater clarity on what I want to create moving forward. With the passing of my mentor I decided that I was going to “ALL IN” and create opportunities to shine my light even brighter on others. I believe that the world needs more shining lights, people like you, to lead through words and actions. When you shine your lights on others, you give other people permission to shine brighter and this is the definition of creating more win-win-wins.

How can you start to create more wins and learning opportunities for yourself?

Count your BLESSINGS – Life is filled with both ebbs and flows, this is the Law of Rhythm (e.g. ocean tide comes in and out, the sun rises and sets, etc.). Learning to demonstrate a great attitude during both the ebbs and flows is one of the keys to creating more wins in your life. A simple way to shift your thinking is to start reminding yourself of the things you are blessed to have in your life (e.g. your health, your family, today, etc.). In as little as 60 seconds you can shift your thinking and transform your day.

The power of BEING – You have been programmed to believe that if you simply try and work harder than you will be successful. The German Philosopher Goethe once said … “Before you can do something, you must first be something.” In a culture that glorifies “the grind” it is important that you learn how to stop, to think and BE more. When you focus on being more you will feel and experience a greater sense of joy in your life.

Just imagine what is possible for you if you created a culture of joy in your life?

I encourage you to repeat the following affirmations out loud with energy and enthusiasm.

I AM JOY

Allow yourself to feel these words and complete the following exercise to strengthen your mind-body connection. Grab a piece of paper or your journal.

Reflection Questions:

What was a nugget of wisdom you received from reading this essay today?

What are some possible actions you can take today based on reading this essay?

Want more from JT? Pick up a copy of his book “You Are Greatness” today!