"JOY Guilt" - Is it safe to let it go?

One of vital the foundations of my mindset practice is to spend 15 minutes a day in quiet meditation. This practice is a LIFE SAVER. My intention: to focus on the feeling of joy, and to spend as many moments or minutes there as I can. To experience the essence and vibration of Love.

But I've noticed that something has been off lately and I wondered if I am the only one experiencing this. 

It boils down to what I am choosing to name "JOY Guilt". 

The sense that there is a cloud of doom, gloom and guilt, hovering over me, battling my desire to focus on feeling good. It's as though it we're bad or wrong to feel good when so many people are suffering in the world around me. 

I'm grateful to have become aware of my faulty thinking. I've been allowing myself to fall into the trap of scarcity and poverty thinking. 

Here's the thing. If we feel bad about feeling good, we are creating stress, worry and anxiety in our systems. We feel cut-off and alone. Disconnected from the world around us. And the truth is, in this state, we are far less likely to be generous, giving and create positive solutions for our world. 

We cut ourselves off from positivity and possibility. 

There is no pay off for anyone, when we're trapped in "JOY Guilt". Everyone is suffering. No one is winning. 

Have you ever had the most incredible day. When everything flows beautifully and it seems as though the universe is creating magic just for YOU? Don't you feel SO generous on days like this? You're happy to share and circulate your time, resources and ideas with others. It's feels good doesn't it?

Now think about the flip side. When you're feeling tired, guilty, burnout, resentful, do you feel like be of service to anyone? Usually not. Your world contracts and you hang on to your time and resources fiercely, afraid to circulate your good. 

My guess is that refugee in Bangladesh, isn't sitting there in gratitude for my guilt. It's not serving them in any way shape or form. I bet they would prefer it, if I connected with my Joy, so that I was far more likely to feel generous and circulate resources in their direction from which they would directly benefit. 

It's just my guess. 

Have you been experiencing JOY guilt lately? If so, I encourage you to re-commit your mindset practice to raising your vibration and focus on feeling good. If you want to take it one step further. Start walking with the question, how can my Joy serve the world today?

Think baby steps. That full body smile directed at someone having a bad day can turn there whole experience of the moment around. Maybe they will go home and be kinder to their family. That $5 gifted to a local cause might ripple into one animal in need being fed and sheltered. That 1 hour you freely spend volunteering at the hospice may lift a burden of pain from the hearts of a family in grief. And so it flows. 

Joy Ripples. It expands and elevates. 

Affirm "It is safe to feel JOY.  I give myself permission to feel JOY"