Get on the Joy Highway

On our path to joy this week, start by thinking about a location that takes you about an hour to travel to from your home. Make it someplace you like to go, someplace that brings you peace or happiness. It doesn’t matter if you have to walk, drive, ride your bike or get on a train or bus. Just imagine that place. Do you have it in mind? Now, consider three different ways to get there.

First, consider the quickest route.

Second, think of the “scenic” route, one you might use if you weren’t in a hurry.

Third, imagine a route that would take you out of your way, and might cause detours, delays or distractions.

If you had to choose a path, which one would it be? Some of us take the same path every time. Others might change up how we go depending on our mood or our needs that day.

This month we’re talking about how our purpose is to feel joy.

Getting to the destinations of our destinies can often be like this travel exercise. We may know where we want to go, but there are many ways to get there. You might want to get there quickly, but perhaps there’s more joy in store down a different road. You might want to avoid the path that causes detours and delays, but it might be the one where we learn the most. Maybe today, it would be boring to take the freeway. Maybe, you want a little more excitement or drama or diversion on your road to keep life interesting.

So, which path do you choose?

Try letting the path come to you.

Look back over your life to those points which you thought you were on the right road at the right time, or you felt like you had made it to the destination. How did that feel? Can you remember the energy? Can you remember the jolt of adrenaline? Travel in that.

Maybe today you don’t have to start your journey with moving. Try starting with feeling. You can find the right road, your “joy highway” when you have an awareness of how you feel. That’s a stretch for a lot of people, but you can do it. Pay attention to your mood. If you are feeling grouchy, uncomfortable, irritated or unsure you might be doing things the hard way. A feeling of hope or a light uplifted spirit can be an indicator that you are taking the path that’s going to be more fun.

If you’re stuck in a rut, try asking yourself some fun questions. That’s what works for us at Do Tell: the Relationship Game. A few simple questions or making time to spend with the people you love can remind you of how you feel and helps you chose the right direction on your path towards joy.

When the journey seems like a lot of hard work, we might get to some of those places we wanted to go, but it’s not nearly as joyful as it could have been if we had gone a different way.

That doesn’t mean you won’t encounter road blocks sometimes, but you’ll get where you want to go if you just keep going and enjoy the journey.