What is Your Joy Quotient?

Many of us see joy as the delightful result of being able to do work that we love. And this is certainly a great producer of joy on the job. The real trick, however, is how to bring joy to anything you do. Doing so can transform the mundane into the enjoyable and let loose incredible energy for all you put your attention to. The secret: creativity. Feeling creative and playful helps us bust through resistance, fear, boredom and disbelief on our way to an engaged satisfaction.

Test your joy quotient with this Self-Quiz.  (True/False) 

1. Creativity doesn’t just belong to artistic types living in loft studios. Work is a place I frequently exercise my creativity. 

2. I think of myself as someone who doesn’t just want what I want, but as someone who is going to get it. It’s just a matter of figuring out how. 

3. I keep blank notebooks in several places for jotting down my ideas and inspirations, and a tape recorder for recording observations. 

4. No matter how “uncreative,” sensible, logical and otherwise unimpulsive I might consider myself, if I have a pressing idea—a core desire—I’m going to express it. 

5. My family, my team, my community, my world all benefit when I access and use my innate creativity.  

6. Feeling vulnerable and insecure is part of the process of creating anything. To see me through those times, I call on those who I know support my project, not those who might discourage my efforts. 

7. I bash boredom when I need to by doing everyday things differently. 

8. I encourage laughter in my team through such means as a humor bulletin board, a prop box and humor breaks. 

9. I quiet my mind regularly, and when I do, creative ideas and inspirations often show up seemingly out of nowhere.   

10. I look around my world—city streets or nature’s paths—for creative inspiration and sources of joy. 

11. I anticipate unexpected twists of fate, chance encounters and unorthodox solutions. 

12. I make a regular habit of connecting with my wishes, and I’m not afraid to wish for too much. But rather than wish for personal success alone, I link my wishes to how they serve people. 

13. I use affirmations—positive statements phrased in the present tense and repeated often—to keep my joy level high. 

14. I make it a habit to do one scary thing every day. 

15. I laugh at myself—frequently. 

If you answered “false” more often than “true,” you may be plugging up your joy channel. Please don’t hesitate to call if you would like help clearing it and reconnecting to your joy.

Author’s content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications