How much joy can you contain? Do you think you can hold so much joy that you reach the point of bursting open? Would you then be like a supernova? NASA may not agree, but I like to think of stars bursting into a supernova because of added light, but what if they burst from joy and all of that light is emitted? Can you see yourself this way?

From where does this kind of joy materialize? How can you find it? Is it something given only to a few? Are there answers to these questions? Are we designed to spend our lives searching for this kind of joy? Do most people never find it? Is it even something we want, or is it best just to settle for the status quo?

What if everyone had this ecstasy and lived their life in this state of joy? What would the world be like? What would you be like and where would you go from there? What comes after joy?

Did you know you are birthed into creation each moment? I know, it is almost impossible for us to wrap our brains around that concept, but it is true. We come from the eternal Now… only Now. Since this is true (no matter how difficult it is to understand) it makes you wonder why we are lugging around all the baggage of the past that we carry with us. Why do we carry all the fears and worries of the future with us? Just thinking about setting all of those bags down makes you feel lighter already, doesn’t it?

Do you think joy comes from living in the present moment? Well, maybe. Although I think it is more likely the first attribute you will find by residing in the present moment is peace.

I have another answer for joy. Joy comes from the Spirit. It is wrapped in love and gifted to you when you awaken, not to who you are (Surprise!) but to why you are here.

Now most of us think we are here to grow spiritually, to remember our connection to Source, to raise our vibration, to become Enlightened, and so on and so on. All of that is true. But I have to tell you, I have seen a lot of unhappy people doing this. (Shh, don’t tell.)

Okay, before I say this, I just want you to know I can hear you groaning when you read this next part, so please persevere. It gets better, I promise.

We each have a spiritual mission to perform (maybe more than one during our lifetime). Our spiritual mission is our gift to the world.

It is true some people come into the world “gifted”. There are artists, musicians, mathematicians, child prodigies. Their gift is visible at an early age.

Then there are the rest of us who grow up, get a job and wander through life wondering, “What is my purpose?” You actually are here to provide a service, not just to “become enlightened”.

The secret to discovering your spiritual mission, if you have not found it yet, is found in the paradox. When you discover your spiritual mission, you will discover the gift of joy. Paradoxically, what brings you joy, what your passion is, what you spend your free time doing, what you love to do, IS your spiritual mission. It has been a thread running through your life. Look and find it.

It is so simple and so easy. It isn’t complicated, so don’t make it so. It really is right under your nose. Perhaps you have always loved to build things and always have a project under construction at home. Maybe you love to make up stories for little kids. Maybe you love to be in the kitchen making delicious food. These are gifts. If they light you up and bring you joy, they are yourspiritual mission! They don’t have to be earth-shattering. They do have to bring you joy. When you discover what it is, you will be filled with joy. You will laugh and say, “But I have always loved doing that!”

Do you know, there are actually people who love to clean? What a gift! Some people actually like to organize things and are good at it. Whatever your spiritual mission is, you will already be good at it, because it is a part of you. It depicts your interests and consequently the skills you have developed over time.

When you find your spiritual mission, find a way to bundle it so that you can give it to the world. Start by giving to neighbors and local communities. Watch it grow. Begin to teach others how to do what you do. There are myriad ways to share your gift.

Once you discover your spiritual mission, make it a focus in your life. Begin to share and be of service to the world. When you do this, you allow Spirit to move out through you into the world and your joy will be boundless.

At the start of the article I asked, “What comes after joy?” All of the gifts of Spirit will begin revealing themselves when you begin giving in joy and fulfilling your mission. It will be like you opened the floodgates for Spirit to pour forth into the world.

Give your gift to the world. The world is waiting for you to become a supernova!