The Happy Groundedness Of Joy

groundedness

Life is difficult. Life is serious. Life is hard. Beliefs can be the “ground” of human society, but that is not the same as groundedness. Our beliefs are reflected in how we create our world and do what we do. They are not wrong – they are incomplete. What Is All Of This Seriousness Bringing…

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Joy: A Big Tent For Your Whole Self

big tent

Joy is a feeling, of course. It is also a way to shift out of fear-based living so that a healthier foundation can be created for living. It can be hard to think of life as being about more than fear since we have so much of it. Our media offers plenty of doom and…

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Is Joy A Lost Power?

jpy power

What is power really? Most of us learn that power comes from the use of force or the accumulation of resources. According to Merriam-Webster, power can be grouped into 3 main categories: a: physical might b: mental or moral efficacy c: political control or influence The first is the use of force, the second is persuasion, and the…

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Shifts Created By A Joy Practice

Our world, built on fear and control,  does not offer the safety, nourishment, and sustainability needed to have quality of life. Given the ecological dangers we are facing, a change is essential. We cannot create the deep change we need unless we can reconsider fear as the basis for how we do life. What is…

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Healing Legacy Authoritarian Trauma

authoritarian trauma

Many people think hierarchies are the normal and natural way for people to organize. For thousands of years, humans have lived in hierarchical, mostly authoritarian societies. The mindsets, beliefs, and practices of these cultural arrangements have been passed from one generation to another, including assigned rights, privileges, duties, and obligations.  Hierarchical societies made sense at…

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The High Cost Of Neglect

neglect

During times of great change like now, we are bumping up against issues and problems that have been neglected for a long time. Often what has been neglected is also what has been taken for granted. Neglect is not a simple matter. Sometimes we neglect something because we need to. During a crisis like a…

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A Joy Pyramid Would Benefit Sensitive People

pyramid

Most people have heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, created in the 1940s.  Maslow offered us a way to visualize personal growth as a process achieved through the satisfaction of a series of basic needs.  We all have certain fundamental needs that are always there and foundational. The need for food, safety, and connection –…

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Moving From Surviving To Thriving

surviving

e all know change and experience it all the time, the stages of the day and the seasons of the year being great examples of natural change. There are times when other changes are more extensive, more far-reaching, and have a more significant impact, like the times we are living through right now. Cultures are…

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Joy And Strokes: A Change That Makes A Difference

  Animals are wonderfully direct. They see good, they act on goodness and all is well. If you are good for them they will let you know how much they appreciate you. There is no conflict. Humans and their desire for control complicate many social interactions and personal choices. As a result, many people feel…

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How Does A Joy-Based Life Feel?

what joy feels like

What does a joy-based life feel like? It can be hard to get your arms around the idea that a life filled with joy is possible, given the conflict, war, and destruction in our world. Joy has the potential to shift us from living a fear-based life to one that honors the good in ourselves,…

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