Discover why goals, gratitude, and mindset are just the beginning. Explore the deeper inner work needed to cultivate profound Joy within yourself.
I am someone who has completed goal setting, gone ham on gratitude practice and has deeply felt the positive impact of shifting her mindset.
I am not here to slate these practices, but I am here to set the record straight. All three of them miss an incredibly important aspect when it comes to cultivating more Joy. They all miss this fact – that you are a human being, multifaceted, complex, soft, sensitive – whether you would admit it or not.
I became a coach for my love of setting a good goal. My life outlook was totally changed using gratitude. I have overcome plentiful mental blocks and hurdles through mindset work. They have all played a beautiful role in my life and getting me to where I am today.
But what I notice is that these things alone are not enough to cultivate the deep Joy that I desire. That is because the level of Joy I wish to experience requires even deeper work than what goals, mindset and gratitude allow. The deepest Joy requires the deepest level of work.
The deepest inner work where you get to see yourself clearly, discover more of yourself and learn how to navigate life using the truths of your internal world.
Let me explain…
What does it mean to do inner work?
Inner work is about:
- awareness of self
- discovery of your own personal truths
- peeling back the layers of conditioning that you have been wearing
- healing the wounds that you no longer wish to carry
- understanding how to navigate your parts
Doing your inner work means you become more able to live your life from a seat of conscious awareness and you become the observer of yourself. From here, you realise you are more able to life from a place of choice, rather than existing within a life that is happening all around you. You can read about how to start navigating your healing journey here.
You BECOME life itself. Doing your inner work enables you to become the deliberate creator of your life.
So, of course, from here, you are able to invite in more Joy.
What’s wrong with goal setting in finding Joy?
Absolutely nothing at all. Goal setting in and of itself is epic – feeling clarity about the who, what, where, when, why and how, can seriously support you in moving forward in life. After all, if we are not sure where we are headed, then how can we expect to move forward in the right direction for ourselves.
If we think that just by getting seriously clear on what we want, means that everything else will fall into place, you will get a shock.
Of course, goal setting is excellent when it comes to the new job, car, relationship, marathon, health…whatever it may be, but for seeking deep Joy, it’s not the one. And if you believe your Joy to be in those things external to you, this will also be a shock.
The reason being, the Joy you want to feel, to cultivate, is not tangible, measurable, it is going to be created from nothing outside of you. This much I know. Deep Joy comes from within.
But of course, gratitude helps in finding Joy?
You bet it does! Actively practicing gratitude is an absolute game changer – the more we focus on what is good in our lives, the more we will find. If we choose to see what is good, our brains become more receptive to finding more of it. You will become an abundance powerhouse!
More gratitude = more abundance = more positive aligned action. Fact.
AND, at the same time, something gets missed here. What gets missed is that whilst you are growing in abundance and manifesting more of the good stuff, you are leaving something behind.
All your inner parts you did not yet hear, see and validate. We all have parts that do not feel worthy, enough, safe, whatever it is. We cannot deny the human condition. If we really want to embrace Joy, we have to take all of us on the journey.
A positive mindset surely is the answer to more Joy?
Hmmm..again, you’re not wrong, but you’re not right either. Mindset work is incredible – being the observer of yourself. The power of being able to catch the negative self-talk and narratives and swap them out for positive ones. Knowing you have a choice about what to focus on , knowing that you have the power to build new, more positive neural pathways – yes, all of this will bring you more Joy.
But this is key – this is missing something so important. Nuance. Mindset work often misses out the time and space for discomfort. It is missing the ability for your inner child to be heard, seen, validated and loved. More often than not, it can almost gloss over our inner worlds and stick a plaster on it.
Mindset work can lean into toxic positivity. It has a penchant for avoiding our humaness.
So how do I cultivate deeper Joy?
In conclusion, while goal setting, gratitude practices, and mindset work are undoubtedly valuable tools on the journey to cultivating joy, they can only take us so far. These practices, while effective in their own right, often miss the mark when it comes to addressing the multifaceted nature of human experience.
To truly cultivate deep and lasting joy, we must engage in the profound inner work of self-awareness, uncovering our personal truths, and healing the wounds we carry. This inner work allows us to live consciously, make choices from a place of authenticity, and become the deliberate creators of our lives.
While goal setting provides clarity and direction, it cannot manufacture the intangible joy we seek. Gratitude practices enhance abundance and positivity but may overlook the deeper parts of ourselves that need healing. Similarly, mindset work empowers us to shift negative thought patterns, yet it may lack the depth required to truly address our innermost needs.
In essence, cultivating joy requires us to go beyond surface-level practices and delve into the depths of our being. It demands vulnerability, courage, and a willingness to confront our shadows. Only through this profound inner work can we unlock the boundless joy that resides within us, waiting to be discovered.
If you are ready to explore more of your inner world and invite in more Joy, book your free discovery call here.