Ever feel like your interactions are falling flat, even with people you care about? Or maybe you’re not sure how to express that someone truly matters to you. Skill 1, Share Joy can help! Let’s dive deeper into what this skill is and why it might be more important than you realize.
What is the Share Joy Skill and Why is it Essential?
Share Joy involves the ability to share and amplify joy with someone through our voice, face, and body language. This skill is essential for a few reasons:
- Joy is central to a life lived in Jesus. Just a few examples from scripture tell us that joy is a sign of God’s spirit (Gal. 5:22), it is our strength (Neh. 8:10), and it is found in God’s presence (Psalm 16:11). We need joy for our own sake, and to be more like our God!
- Joy is essential for healthy brain function. Brain scientists discovered that joy provides the best fuel for our brains to run smoothly and process information! [1]
- Joy is relational and crucial for thriving relationships.Based on an understanding of scripture and brain science, the Life Model defines joy as being the twinkle in someone’s eye, or the life-giving feeling of mutual care. This joy forms the basis for all healthy bonding! [2]
What are Some Signs I’m Lacking Joy?
Those of us who didn’t grow up in a joy-filled environment where joy was modeled and shared with us often struggle with low joy levels. Additional signs of low joy include:
- Not being sure what joy feels like and/or rarely experiencing it.
- Struggling to express that people matter to us in ways that cause them to genuinely feel enjoyed.
- Rarely lighting up in our personal interactions or feeling warmth toward others.
- Having a hard time, or rarely making eye contact with others
The good news is that no one is doomed to low-joy living. We all can learn to grow joy!
Growing Joy – Is it Just a Choice?
It’s a common belief that joy is merely a choice. However, joy is an emotion we experience and express faster than conscious thought, so, choice alone can’t make genuine joy appear. What we can choose, though, is to grow and foster joy so it more reflexively flows out of our lives.
The best way to grow joy is to spend time with people who have lots of it! But often we also need specific help and guidance, and this is why THRIVEtoday exists! We have designed specific training to help you intentionally develop the Share Joy skill so you can:
- Recognize what joy feels like and looks like.
- Express joy in authentic ways.
- Experience more joy in your relationship with God and others.
- Hold on to joy even when life is difficult.
- Develop the alternating rhythms of joy and rest that optimize brain function.
The net result when we grow the Share Joy skill is we can better enjoy life, express how valuable people are to us, and reflect our joyful God to the world! Doesn’t joy sound like a great thing?
If you could use guidance in developing your ability to Share Joy, we invite you to learn with us!
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Learn More!
Grow Joy with a Group this Summer:
- Skill 1 Habit Builder Group > 8 weeks
- Foundational 5 Summer Group > 5 weeks
See our Skill 1 Learning Pathway:
Read about Skill 1 this Summer:
- 4 Habits of Joy-Filled People – check out chapter 2
[1] E. Jim Wilder, Joy Changes Everything (Life Model Works)
[2] Jim Wilder, Growing Me: Becoming a Child (Evergreen, CO: Fast Track Press) p.18