Why I Became a Joy Evangelist.

Photo credit: Cristian Escobar on Unsplash

​For the better part of a decade I felt stuck. I knew I wanted to make changes in my life, yet I had no idea where to begin. Unbeknownst to me, I was trapped in a victim story that was unwittingly self-sabotaging my efforts.
 
I also felt ashamed. How could I, a woman who seemingly had it all - happily married, two healthy children, wanting for nothing materially - how could I be discontent? What was wrong with me?
 
The combination of my malaise, fear, and indecision led to frustration and a sense of overwhelm. I read self-help books, talked to friends, worked with therapists. However, these actions felt more like a Band-Aid; while I felt better in the short term, I never got to the root cause of my dissatisfaction. Discouraged, and tired of spinning my wheels I tried a new approach: I hired my first coach.

While working with a life coach I learned it was my perceptions about my life that were creating my discontent. She helped me uncover what was really holding me back and gave me the tools, resources, and accountability to make the changes I desired.
 
Knowing is not enough; to create change we must put that knowledge into action and make different choices.
 
My first significant breakthrough was my commitment to return to school to become certified in Applied Positive Psychology – the science of wellbeing. Even before the formal classes started, I picked up the book Positivity by Barbara Fredrickson. Though the title sounded too good to be true, the book delivered.

It was my first exposure to the scientific research that showed fostering positive emotions like joy, gratitude, and hope opens our awareness to a wider range of thoughts and broadens our ideas about possible actions we can take.

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Alison Deutsch Coaching

​Here are some of the proven benefits the cumulative effect of positive emotions have over time:
 
Spiritually
Experiencing serenity sparks our urge to savor our current circumstances and integrate them into a new view of ourselves and the world around us.
 
Physically
Fostering a positive state improves cardiovascular health, coordination, sleep, immune function, and also reduces inflammation.
 
Intellectually
Elevating curiosity sparks our urge to explore and learn; it is easier for us to consider multiple ways to reach a goal and to find several solutions to problems.
 
Relationally
Positivity helps to make others more open and willing to cooperate, fostering better connections with family and colleagues.
 
Emotionally
Cultivating joy sparks the urge to play and be creative, we become more optimistic, resilient, open, accepting, and driven by purpose.
 
I am a JOY EVANGELIST because from the moment I started to actively cultivate more joy, gratitude, and hope in my own life, everything began to shift. While my outer circumstances didn’t change, my perspective did, and that was all I needed to get unstuck. The best part: positive emotions always exist within. Once we learn how to access these emotions more consistently, we can tap into this free, infinitely-renewable resource.
 
Almost a decade has passed since I began this latest phase of my journey, guided by mentors and coaches who have supported my growth. There are times I still find myself feeling fear, indecision and overwhelm; after all change will always be a part of life. But today, as a zealot for positive emotions, boosting joy has become the go-to in my tool box because I know it is often the kick start I need to break the cycle of stuck and get myself moving again. Not to mention it's fun - and we can always use some fun in our lives!
​

Aha!
 Positive emotions are the sparks we need to ignite change and keep moving!
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Jolt of Joy
To hear more about my personal transformation and learn tips on how you can rewrite the disempowering story that might be keeping you stuck, I invite you to listen to the Reignite Your Light podcast : “The Joy Evangelist.”