We talk about the spiritual “path” as if it is a journey to somewhere. Do you find yourself wondering when you’re going to get “there”?
Or perhaps you’ve discovered by now that the journey always takes you back to the same place: right here within yourself.
So if YOU are the journey AND the destination, then what is this path that you’re on?
I think of it not as a horizontal path but a vertical one. A climb.
We are making the journey up The Emotional Scale.
And at the top of the scale is JOY.
Welcome to your climb.
When I speak of “The Emotional Scale,” I’m referring specifically to the one published in Ask and It Is Given by Esther & Jerry Hicks (a.k.a., the Teachings of Abraham). You can find similar constructs elsewhere, such as Power vs. Force by Dr. David Hawkins, but the Abraham one is what I’ve always resonated with.
The Emotional Scale organizes all possible human emotions from lowest vibrating / least empowered to highest vibrating / most empowered:
- Joy/Knowledge/Empowerment/Freedom/Love/Appreciation
- Passion
- Enthusiasm/Eagerness/Happiness
- Positive Expectation/Belief
- Optimism
- Hopefulness
- Contentment
- Boredom
- Pessimism
- Frustration/Irritation/Impatience
- Overwhelment
- Disappointment
- Doubt
- Worry
- Blame
- Discouragement
- Anger
- Revenge
- Hatred/Rage
- Jealousy
- Insecurity/Guilt/Unworthiness
- Fear/Grief/Depression/Despair/Powerlessness
(I did say “all possible human emotions,” but you could easily name several emotions that aren’t listed here. I believe that, for the sake of simplicity, they’ve streamlined it by condensing similar emotions into the ones named here.)
As you can see, Joy is at the top of the scale. This is where we get into its spiritual power, because there’s another thing that can be said about this Emotional Scale:
- The higher up the scale you feel, the more aligned you are with your Higher Self.
- The higher up the scale you feel, the more tuned in you are to intuitive guidance.
- The higher up the scale you feel, the more that you quiet the voices of fear, worry, and doubt which keep you from fulfilling your purpose.
- And when you’re at the TOP of the scale – when you feel truly JOYOUS – then those other voices are completely silenced.
In Joy, you are living completely as One with your Higher Self and all that is.
Here’s a catch: I’ve learned that many people don’t yet know what Joy really is. They are settling for a weak substitute: They experience relief, or safety, or comfort, and think that’s Joy because it feels better than the fear, worry, doubt, or powerlessness they’d previously been immersed in.
But Joy is more than just a sigh of relief. Joy is more than just contentment.
Joy has energy. It has MOVEMENT. You can hardly sit still when you feel true Joy, because it is the energy from Source literally moving through you to fulfill your purpose.
And there we have the second key to Joy’s spiritual power: IT moves YOU. When you are in Joy, you don’t have to wonder “What do I do next?” to fulfill your purpose or manifest your desires. Joy gives you the answers before you ask and practically lifts you out of your seat to move you into action.
When I describe it that way, do you recognize it? Can you recall experiences of Joy?
I’m sure you can – in isolated moments. A family event, like a wedding or newborn baby. A triumphant victory. A once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Now the question is, how often are you moved like that during your everyday life?
Has it occurred to you that life could be that Joyful all the time? It is, in fact, the key to living in Higher Consciousness, aligned with your Higher Self and abiding by the spiritual principles of Unconditional Love and Oneness we frequently talk about.
But it’s hard to stay in Joy, isn’t it? In fact, what I find is that even the most spiritual people I know are hanging out in Frustration, Pessimism, or Contentment at best, thinking they feel pretty good. These emotions are just below the tipping point of Hopefulness, which is a tipping the first point on the scale where you are more aligned with Higher Self than human self (a.k.a., ego).
Because those emotions feel better than Anger or Depression, it’s easy to think “I feel good.” And relatively speaking, you do. But you need to keep going.
And if you DID keep going – if you made Joy your #1 goal in life, every day, before addressing any of the practical matters of human life – you would experience a PHENOMENAL shift in your experience of life.
- You would receive extremely clear intuitive guidance and TRUST the guidance you receive.
- You would release judgments of others and perceived attack from them, and generally be a nicer person to be around.
- You would attract new types of relationships from people who are drawn to your Joy and want to share theirs with you, instead of people who want to connect via shared misery and pain.
- You would end up with tons of extra time, because when you apply yourself to a task in a state of Joy, you know exactly what to do and complete it much faster.
- Your body would experience spontaneous healing and optimal health, in response to this high vibration flowing through it. And you would naturally make better choices to take care of it too – choices that come from a place of Joy instead of perpetuating lower emotions within you.
- And then there’s money, one of our most tangible outward indicators of our inner state. When you are vibrating with Joy a majority of the time, it will reflect in your bank account. Joy makes you a money magnet, because Joy attracts opportunity and Joy puts you in the mindset to recognize those opportunities.
Have I sold you on the power of Joy? Are you ready to make this shift?
The solution is incredibly simple: Make feeling good a priority.
Simple, but not easy, right? There’s a lot of conditioning that has to be undone. We weren’t taught how to do this or that it’s important to do. We were taught that we get to have fun AFTER the hard work is done. But feel good first, and you’ll never work hard again; you’ll only work easy.
Start with this: Do something each day – SEVERAL times a day – to make yourself feel good. Sing and dance. Pet your dog or cat. Spend time with nieces, nephews, or grandchildren. Read inspirational texts and watch inspirational videos. Do whatever makes your heart sing and your body want to move.
Want to connect with other people who are committed to more Joy in their life? Become part of the Joy Uprising community on Facebook.
Joyfully yours,
