Sometimes, the decision to create joy within also comes with a wave of fear and doubt. The decision to choose joy sometimes means a decision to say "no" to the familiar, even if the familiar was a life in which despair and sadness and low self esteem were prevailing as a result of emotional trauma experienced in youth. Well, my decision to choose joy did not come easy, but when I finally made it, everything changed. One day, I decided to stop living in past emotional pain and let my light shine, for the purpose of inspiring others to let their own light and joy shine through, as well. I decided to reconnect to my inner joy by choosing to finally live "authentically". This meant I had to choose to let the real me out, to let the real me shine, to write my story, and show the world see my scars and my past, and also to show the incredible beacon of Joy and Light and Healing and Love one can become, like I did, once once one decides to heal one's heart and come back to one's Inner Joy. That decision to be Authentic and to Live Authentically helped me give my Inner Joy the space it needed to shine again. Remember this: Joy does not exists alone. It is usually accompanied by fear and doubt, at least in the beginning. However, as we cultivate our joy and pursue things that brings us joy and brings others joy, our inner light will shine brighter than our fears, or anything that makes us feel the absence of love... Make the decision to be you, authentically, and just watch how joy will overflow in your heart and all around you. It's worth the effort, trust me.
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