The Path of Joy and The Path of Struggle

by Rita Edwards

Stop just for a moment and ask yourself: “Is my life filled with joy, compassion, love and positive experiences?” What would your answer be? Yes or No?

If you can honestly answer with a resounding “Yes”, then congratulations, you have discovered the secrets of self actualization. You have learnt how to follow the path of joy.

If your answer is “No” you may be choosing the path of struggle – not out of choice, but because that may have been the path that your parents, your teachers and your caregiver’s modelled for you in the past.

Life is as difficult or joyful as we make it. Believe it or not, we create our own struggle and our own joy. When we believe that joy comes from external success, we are constantly struggling to make ends meet, to buy that new car, new home, fancy clothes and jewellery that our friends wear. We create the path of struggle by being tied into stressful situations that keep us in survival mode. We choose the path of joy or struggle by choosing to see the positive or the negative in all that we do. Who we are is the result of all our choices up to now.

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we access our highest level of function when we are able to self actualize what we want in our lives. In this state, we achieve our full potential. We are more integrated, open for new experiences, more creative, more humorous, and more joyous. This level of joyous interaction with the world can be achieved when we access the path of joy, not struggle.

Begin to be more mindfully aware of the choices that you make. Look at where you are experiencing joy. What choices did you make that created this joy?

Where are you experiencing struggle? How motivated are you to change? To create new, more empowering choices in your life?

Motivation, according to Fiona Harrold in “The Ten Minute Life Coach” is the bridge between passion and action. To get off the path of struggle and onto the path of joy, you need to be strongly motivated to change. Your success depends on how motivated you are to change.

The path of struggle keeps you stuck in low gear, moving slowly, with so many perceived obstacles in the way, so many blocks that hold you back. On the other hand, you may find yourself moving forward in a frenetic rush of constantly meeting deadlines, too much to do with so little time. The struggle is to find the time to slow down and relax, to recoup and regroup. This is getting stuck in high gear. There is seldom much joy in getting stuck in high gear or low gear. Either way you don’t experience the ease and joy of living effortlessly.

Dr. Paul Dennison, the creator of Brain Gym has developed the theory of the Dynamic Brain.

Our brain is made up of three parts:

• the brainstem which lies at the base of the skull, and is responsible for automatic survival functions
• the limbic system which controls emotions and long term memory
• the cortex which folds over the other two parts of the brain and controls conscious thought and reasoning.

The dynamic brain is alive; a total system constantly scanning new information for structure. In every way, in every moment, the brain is scanning this new information for order. Patterns, rules and frameworks of reference. This framework of reference is based on our belief systems, the ideas and models that we received from our parents, caregivers and teachers and friends. It is the model that we have accepted as our truth.

In this constant search for structure, two subsystems are at work. The scanning for survival mechanism initiated by the sympathetic nervous system searches for elements of danger and threat to our existence. If any elements of danger are detected, then this system takes precedence. It triggers reflexes that keep us safe by not allowing us to move into new situations. We shut down and freeze. We stop moving forward into new learning. We choose not to participate or interact with our environment. At the midbrain limbic level, the fight or flight response is triggered and we flee from the situation or we go into aggressive mode and become defensive. We view the world as dangerous and we are suspicious of all information coming in.

The second subsystem is the scanning for new creative information. This system uses the senses to bring in the new information and interacts with the world with a sense of joy and play. If it is safe to move, the system engages and participates in new experiences and ventures into new exciting actions and situations. This is the path of joy and playful interaction with the world and with others in our world. We learn to build, explore and create new innovative ideas and objects.

When we follow the path of struggle, we allow the survival scanning system to be our default mode – we view all new situations as threatening and only see the negative in everything. This is linked to our negative belief systems, and we withdraw from the situation in a survival based reaction.

By following the path of joy, we begin to look for the good in every situation, we change our perceptions and our belief systems to be more empowering and more creative.

Are you on your path of joy? Brain Gym teaches you how to follow the path of joy through changing the way you think, feel and act, and how you make choices. Change your belief systems to change your path.

Come and experience Brain Gym in a one day introductory workshop that will give you the tools to work with yourself to keep you following the path of joy.

The workshop will take you through an experiential journey of discovery of your own inner ability to change. Change your emotions and your feelings about situations through movement and self awareness techniques. Learn how to create a more positive attitude, how to change the patterns that we use for integrating the brain, and how to release stress and tension through lengthening the muscles that hold us in tension. Create new affirmations for your joy filled path, and get yourself into your own PACE for living a more joyful lifestyle.

Call Rita for more information 021 702 2085.

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