Many of us have been taught that we need to accept, love and fear God in order to keep us in line. God may love us but we still have to watch what we say, think and do otherwise this loving parent, in most cases a domineering and stern father figure, will punish us for our wrongdoing.
It's interesting how prevalent this thinking is. I did not grow up to be particularly religious and yet, I still find myself internalizing some of these fears. I have been regularly connecting with my Spiritual Team for many years now but, when I have had a period of time not communicating with them, my fears well up and I worry that they will be angry with me and chastise me for not connecting often enough, in the right way, etc. Not unlike the friend or family member who tries to make you feel guilty for not calling and checking in on them. (You know who I'm talking about! We all know somebody like that.)
But, that has never happened. In fact, my angels and guides are ALWAYS loving, generous and happy to hear from me. Any suggestions, comments, observations and/or advice, without fail, is always simple, clear, and in my highest good. My fears are in my own head and coming from a place that is entirely human and Earthbound. We see things through the lens of our own viewpoint. But the Universe and other light beings see us, and everything around us, from a broader viewpoint and with pure Love. Love is the true essence of our nature and the nature of the Universe and they experience everything that comes from Source as made up of, and viewed as, pure Love.
To take this one step further, within that Love is pure Joy. Joy that is the breath of the Universe. Joy in the life that has been given us. Joy in the ability for us to incarnate on this planet and experience it all. And in that Joy is laughter and the ability for our Spiritual Teams to see beyond what we experience. They revel in our "dramas". We have purposely incarnated into each lifetime to experience different things. In some lifetimes it's illness and loss. In others it's wealth and abundance. In others, poverty and all that goes with it, and so on and so forth But the reality is that we are all souls here to have a physical experience so we can know our true nature. And so we create these theatrical dramas that we live out with our spiritual teams who are running around backstage helping us to keep everything going until the final act when we return Home, changing back to our original Spiritual form until our next incarnation.
Take the next step and I'm going to say I've found my Spiritual Team is funny! They love a good laugh. Not laughter that is belittling or laughing at anyone but a good hearty laugh WITH me.
Joy is the vibration of the Universe. Fear is the state of unknowing. When we incarnate into this life we deliberately forget what our true state of being is and allow fear to take over. But not knowing is the reason that we have all incarnated here. It is the experience of fear and, ultimately, the experience of remembering our divinity and how we can easily tune into the creative, joyful, loving part of our higher selves that is Love and Joy as something real and tangible.
Below are a few suggestions to help find Joy and Laughter when you need it:
Sit quietly and tune into a memory that makes you feel happy. Enjoy reliving that time in your mind. Then, start to tune into the FEELING of that moment and hold it. Come back to that feeling whenever you need it.
Laughter exercises such as Laughing Yoga, an exercise developed by Dr. Madan Kataria who found that doing exercises that simulate laughter actually provide the same benefits as real laughter such as elevated levels of endorphins. Here is a TEDx Talk from 2015 about the benefits of Laughter Yoga. Go to Youtube, search for Laughter Yoga and you will find dozens of videos that you can choose from.
Get out and enjoy some nature and fresh air. Even if you live in the middle of a city, get outside. There's always something of nature to be found. Sit under a tree and enjoy listening to the wind rustle through the leaves. Watch the birds fly by.
Turn on some music and dance like nobody's watching! Ever watch a child when the music goes on? They immediately react with joy! Clapping, laughing or dancing. It doesn't really matter. This is the perfect time to tune into your Inner Child and let go!!!
We are all on a journey to connect, find balance, and reexperience our Divine Selves. If you're not there yet, be kind to yourself because you are not alone. None of us (or very few) are "there". That is the journey and that is the joy of our existence.