“A hectic schedule crammed with non-purposeful activities precludes an experience of inspiration. For example, when we accept obligatory committee assignments or board appointments, requests to write on subjects that don’t inspire us, or invitations to gatherings we don’t want to attend, we feel joy draining from our body and spirit.
Our life must be open to Spirit’s guidance in order for us to feel inspired. When the calendar becomes frenzied, full of unnecessary turbulence because we’ve failed to simplify, we won’t be able to hear those long-distance calls from our Source… and we’ll slip into stress, anguish, and even depression. So whatever it takes to feel joy, we simply must act upon it.
Regardless of our current station in life, we have a spiritual contract to make joy our constant companion—so we must learn to make a conscious choice to say no to anything that takes us away from an inspired life. This can be done gently, while clearly showing others that this is how we choose to live. We can start by turning down requests that involve actions that don’t correspond with our inner knowing about why we’re here.
Even at work, we can find ways to keep ourselves on an inspirational agenda. For example, during my years as a college professor, I recall being asked over and over to partake in activities that didn’t correspond with my own inspiration. So I devised a simple solution: I took on more teaching assignments, and in exchange, my colleagues attended curriculum meetings, served on research committees, and wrote building-improvement reports. I consistently listened to my heart, which always demanded joy.
Keep in mind that it’s only difficult or impossible to accomplish joy when we engage in resistant vibrational thinking. If we know that we don’t have to live a life stuffed with non-joyful activities, then we can choose the way of inspiration. Opting for joy involves giving ourselves time for play instead of scheduling a workaholic nightmare. We deserve to feel joy—it’s our spiritual calling. By giving ourselves free time to read, meditate, exercise, and walk in nature, we’re inviting the guidance that’s waiting patiently to come calling with inspirational messages.
There’s also no law requiring us to be at the continual beck and call of our family members. I see no reason to feel anything but joy when we know it’s right to choose to do what we’re called to do, even when it interferes with another family member’s calling. In fact, children benefit by knowing that the business of parenting is to teach them how not to lean on their parents. Raising independent kids to find their own inspiration and look for their own joy is important for everyone—we want them to be doing what they’re called to do, ultimately for themselves, not for us. We can take great joy in attending their soccer games and recitals and in being with them and their friends—and when we’re ins
pired, we actually enjoy their activities. But let’s help them to live their joy, and be able to do it with or without us there to cheer them on.
The bottom line is that we can simplify life by cutting down on the busywork that keeps us off purpose. We must curtail such activities and listen to Spirit, staying aware of joy and how simple it is to access. We deserve to feel joy—it’s our spiritual calling.”
– Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, hayhouse.com
