Choosing joy IS the mission

After getting onto blogger.com a zillion years ago when it first appeared, I never wrote a single word. That account long evaporated, and here I find myself with a compulsion to express...something.

As a recently certified yoga teacher, I have had the privilege of time to dive deeply into my mind. Woah! I've discovered I'm inclined/drawn to help/heal people whether their need is physical or emotional. (Website with video and testimonials coming soon.)
Teaching yoga may be the last lily pad to leap onto, having been a karate instructor, an aerobics instructor, and unofficially a gymnastics and sailing instructor too. All this life experience lends itself to a well-rounded experiential class. I enjoy taking people on a journey. 
In truth, I just love to play and this is how it manifests itself: sharing with others all the wonder-full things I'm learning.

Currently I'm psyching up for yet another journey. This one will be a road trip taking me in a loop from Chicago to a yoga center, to possibly Long Island, NY,  and Portland, ME, then up to Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and back here. After that, well, the world is my oyster.

Enough jibber, jabber and on to the heart of the matter:

One thing that's on my mind and in my heart today.

What we think, resonates outwards and creates our experience.

A mouthful.

Yes.

Here, look at it this way: a person who fears dogs, approaches a passerby walking their dog. The dog starts barking at her/him and bearing their teeth. The dog-fearer, gets more frightened to the point that the dog wants to jump them and bite.

Why does this happen?

The fear is the instigator. The hapless doggie, who sees itself as a love-muffin, doesn't get it, and so needs to fight against it; quash it. So to speak. Know what I mean, jelly bean?

It's a simplified version of what's going on on a global scale.

Suppression, oppression, occupation, and all the killing.

It's fear expressing itself.

Exclusion vs. inclusion. Differences vs. similarities.

It's also what's going on on a micro-scale;  just you, or me, or any other person.

We do, absolutely, and without a doubt create our experience.

Not always a pretty sight, yeah?

There is a healthy amount of fear needed to keep us safe.
This is not what I'm talking about here.

Just like yoga is going somewhat mainstream, this "language", this ideology, is reaching far and wide. Sprinkling our day to day experience and interaction with others. Okay, okay, not every one is in on it. Those of us that live it, cannot help but keep spreading it, in hopes that maybe one day, just maybe, it will affect/infect all.

Can we go on like this?

For any sensitive person, life in general society is rough.
Challenging to say the least.

To have the courage to choose, and I mean choose, joy over despair, as often as possible IS the mission.

How else could one create more good things to come to pass?

If we allow ourselves to sink into all that available destructiveness, well then, what's the point of continuing living?

Here's to living life full on, fully expressed, no holding back.
Yes!

Until the next time...in joy, yours.

Unedited.
An experiment.