Our own beliefs, fears, and habitual reactions to life limit our joy much more than any spouse, boss, or devastating life experience. I started teaching my clients to carry two questions with them in their daily lives: "Am I feeling joy now? If not, how am I holding my joy away?" I walked into each therapy session and workshop with the goal of helping people reconnect with the essential joy in their core. Over time, my three-step approach evolved:
1. Say yes to what is.
2. Witness your thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
3. Respond differently, with kindness and compassion.
By seeing our old habits clearly and by taking full responsibility for how we respond, we become able to hold all of life's gifts in joy.
— Carolyn Hobbs in Joy, No Matter What