Cultivating Joy

The power of femininity, I can’t help but think of how femininity is so often tied to joy; and yes, I mean joy not happiness. Joy being that intrinsic force coming from within no matter what is going on around us. We see this demonstrated in Gone with The Wind, when Melanie, Ashly’s wife, is on the screen. There is this inherent joy about her no matter what; and yet somehow, on the opposite end of the spectrum, is a brazenness that comes forth when we enter, what I must call, the dark side of femininity. Oh yes, there is a dark side of it, the angry, vindictive, manipulative side of it. Visually both can be beautiful; but only one is whole and healthy. 

As stated in merriam-webster.com Joy is defined as:

·The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires: delight

·The expression or exhibition of such emotion: gaiety

·A state of happiness or felicity: bliss

·A source or cause of delight

Now, it would be nice if I could say that because we are women nurturing our femininity, we will automatically have joy and there is no need to work on it. Ha ha ha…yes, that would be nice, but very inaccurate. So, the question then becomes how do we find joy? Is it something we can create on our own? Is it something we can buy? Is it something that we can get from others? Is it a mindset? Can we cultivate it?

Well, I am pretty sure we know we cannot buy it. That reaction is too momentary and would often be associated with happiness. Depending on people for joy is iffy since people are fickle. Is it something that we can cultivate? Yes, it is. Joy can come from gratitude; about what you do have or gratitude about the negative experiences that you have missed.

A healthy mindset that is focused on the good moments and lets each good moment carry you to the next good moment, as if you are Tarzan swinging from the vines, one good thing to the next. I love that depiction because it shows how intentional we must be about what we hold on to; it is not a passive thing; we must choose to do it. We must choose when to let go and take the next joyful moment to hang onto. Choose to tap into joy, get prospective, be grateful, go to God, take a walk on the beach, and cultivate joy!

Kenisa Nunley, founder & CEO of “Gowns and Gardens”, and “Gowns and Gardens House of Charities”, is a native Los Angelino and an explorer of life. She has a background in consulting, business development, events, and is a graduate from the University of Southern California, with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Business and an emphasis in marketing.

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