{"id":92,"date":"2022-06-04T14:56:59","date_gmt":"2022-06-04T21:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/?p=92"},"modified":"2022-06-16T10:43:24","modified_gmt":"2022-06-16T17:43:24","slug":"how-can-i-move-out-of-contraction-and-into-joy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/archives\/92-how-can-i-move-out-of-contraction-and-into-joy","title":{"rendered":"How Can I Move Out of Contraction and Into Joy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Q & A with John about moving out of contraction into joy was first published <\/em>in the New Day Herald in April 2010.\u00a0 As we prepare for our Conference of Joy, Fun, <\/em>and Laughter, it seems like a timely topic to re-visit.<\/em><\/p>\n

Question:<\/b> How can I move out of contraction and into joy?<\/p>\n

John Morton:\u00a0 <\/b>Let\u2019s look at the idea of contraction, which some call \u201ctaking,\u201d versus the idea of expansion, which some call \u201cgiving.\u201d There are certain things that involve both expanding and contracting, such as breathing and heart beats, both of which are essential to life. However, sometimes we put a negative interpretation on the idea of contracting or taking, instead of understanding that contraction is a natural part of life.<\/p>\n

When we understand that contracting is natural, we have the opportunity to cooperate and find out how we work with it so that when we have to contract, we really do that. Those of you who have been through childbirth know all about that way of contracting. There\u2019s a point at which you must contract even if it hurts, because there’s a purpose in the contraction. And since it\u2019s going to hurt anyway, you might as well cooperate with the process. While we go through a painful contraction, we have the opportunity to learn greater patience and endurance.<\/p>\n

When we cooperate, we may still experience hurt because that\u2019s a natural process in this world. Although there are ways we can manage to spare ourself hurt at times, it\u2019s not likely we\u2019ll never be hurt again. I embrace hurt as an idea, similar to contraction, where I know it doesn’t feel good, but I accept it as a natural part of life.<\/p>\n

In trying to avoid hurt, some people move into a default position and say, \u201cWell, I’ll just do nothing. I’ll avoid the pain. I won’t participate. I’ll just take my marbles and sit at home.\u201d But the reality is that life moves. We really don’t have an option to not be involved in the movement of life. We all will participate. How are you going to participate?<\/p>\n

If you want to participate by kicking and screaming, fighting, cussing, moaning, groaning, those are options for you. I find that sometimes I can’t help doing that. It’s as if there’s a moan inside that I didn’t consciously know I had. Then something comes along that I don\u2019t like, and the moan gets expressed. It\u2019s important to find usefulness in the way we respond, even if it is a moan. Sometimes that means something needed to be cleared or cleansed. I look to the blessing in that expression.<\/p>\n

A good way to approach things is to come into enjoyment with whatever is, even if it\u2019s a concentration camp. There were a few people\u2014and it only takes one\u2014who demonstrated you can actually thrive in a concentration camp and come out of it with an amazing life. Some people experience life as if they are in a concentration camp now. They feel imprisoned and controlled by outside forces that don’t really have their best interests in mind. I suggest they approach their life with\u00a0gratitude for what they do have, that right now they\u2019re not in a concentration camp.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a Gary Larson cartoon that\u2019s one of my all-time favorites. The scene is \u201chell,\u201d and there are characters with pitchforks, tails with arrows on the end of them, and horns. Two \u201cdevils\u201d are looking down at people going every which way, pushing heavy-laden, burdensome wheelbarrows. Everybody’s got a dour look on their face except one guy who is whistling to himself. One devil says to the other devil, “That guy’s just not getting it.”<\/p>\n

What if you\u2019ve lost your enthusiasm and don\u2019t feel like \u201cwhistling in hell?\u201d I learned a method from Ms. Leigh that works really well. When Leigh runs into something like this, she’ll say to herself with an inner smile and a playfully sad, pathetic tone, “Poor Leigh, poor Leigh,\u201d and something just shifts inside for her. Her acknowledgment of that experience sets that energy free.<\/p>\n

I’m sometimes amazed how just some acknowledgment can really work to lift and be available for better experiences, even when the acknowledgment is towards the negative. By acknowledging it, something happens that turns around the energy. It’s in the MSIA teachings that acknowledgment is our friend. So don’t avoid acknowledging how you feel. Don\u2019t move into denial or shoulds. Don\u2019t say to yourself, \u201cI shouldn’t be feeling like this\u201d when you are. If you’re saying, “I feel so lousy or I feel like it’s no use.\u201d That doesn\u2019t help. Start looking towards what would help.<\/p>\n

Remember, out of God comes all things. If God permits it, at some level it is part of perfection even if it’s perfect learning. And sometimes we may not consciously \u201cget it\u201d that it\u2019s perfect. Those guys who are standing there with horns and tails and looking at the guy whistling also don’t consciously get it. They think there’s something wrong with the guy whistling. If something is bothering you, take a look at it. Maybe it\u2019s an attitude shift and just saying, \u201cOh, poor me,\u201d can help move you such that energy is released, and you move into more joy\u00a0and peace.<\/p>\n

For example, at a memorial service where everybody is sobbing and weeping and sad and missing their dearly departed, you might choose to dance. You might celebrate rather than be morbid. Just because some people might think it\u2019s disrespectful, we can still choose to have a relationship with our dearly departed through appreciation of their life. We can see their being more with God is cause for celebration.<\/p>\n

You can always redirect yourself to the joy, no matter what\u2019s going on in your life. You might say, \u201cHey, I just got a raise. I\u2019m dancing.\u201d You could also say, \u201cHey, I just got fired. I\u2019m dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why not? Why make getting fired mean that you have to have a contraction, or a conniption fit? Why assume that your life has to convulse and shut down such that you mourn for the next six months? Who assigned that to you?<\/p>\n

If you assign to yourself that you\u2019re going to be happy and joyful, then take advantage of those moments that say, \u201cLet\u2019s dance!\u201d It might be, \u201cWell, the only place I\u2019m getting that message is from inside myself. There\u2019s no music out here. People are sobbing and weeping, but my inner conductor is saying, \u2018Let\u2019s dance.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Stay on track with your joy. When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself, \u201cWhat\u2019s on my dance card today?\u201d When you identify with the I Am — with God as your source — you are dancing in jubilation and Light.<\/p>\n

Baruch Bashan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Q & A with John about moving out of contraction into joy was first published in the New Day Herald in April 2010.\u00a0 As we prepare for our Conference of Joy, Fun, and Laughter, it seems like a timely topic to re-visit. Question: How can I move out of contraction and into joy? John […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":88409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[266,189,261,257,262],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-happiness","category-john-mortons-current-story","category-ndh-archives","category-traveler-q-a"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}