I recently joined a new Facebook group hosted by bestselling author Gabrielle Bernstein. It’s called The Universe Has Your Back Book Club and it’s based on her fabulous book, The Universe Has Your Back. Gabby is a self-proclaimed spirit junkie, which means that she’s committed to helping people awaken their confidence and live their purpose by growing their spirit.
How does somebody go about growing their spirit? Gabby provides some great guidance for doing this. She oozes her joy-filled spirit in every encounter as she speaks her truth and shares her message. In a recent post in the Facebook group, she talks about the role of joy in growing spirit. In her post, she says that joy is the ultimate creator because when we make joy our number one priority, we see life through a new lens. Then, she asked what group members what brings them joy.
What brings me joy? Presence. It’s about being fully present with everyone I encounter from family members to work colleagues to the checkout clerk at the grocery store. Presence is a way I can honor other human beings. It says “you matter.” It says “you are enough.” And, it says that no moment is too small to simply enjoy it.
My kids have called me “Susie Sunshine” for years because I seek to feel and share joy and positivity. I believe that these are life-forces of the universe.
Keeping joy and positivity front and center doesn’t mean that I’m happy all the time. It means that even on the hard days, I know that better ones are coming. As Rachel Marie Martin puts it, sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought something would be like and learn to find joy in the story you’re actually living. Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day and I can find it with presence.
How are you growing your spirit? What brings you joy? How do you share your joy with others?