I had the power to create new stories for myself, new stories that brought forth more joy. I truly was a creator of my life, and a joyful life at that.

When Gina and I started on our journey into sustainable abundance, we were both pretty serious—serious about learning, serious about the possibility of a different paradigm, serious about the state of the world. Serious. Period.

But as we kept walking this sustainable abundance path, we noticed we got happier. We grew lighter. We could and did start to experience joy. For me, joy bubbles up like a hot spring emerging from the earth. This feeling, this sense of okay-ness, this light energy is an alchemical mixture of gratitude and awe and happiness. It rises up from the center of my body and comes out as laughter or a smile. It is palpable, spontaneous and sweet.

At first, it seemed a bit mysterious. Was there a connection between our lightening up and our practices for living inside of the Seven Laws? Yes. As it turns out, we experienced a domino effect. The longer we practiced standing each day for our own enoughness, the more we practiced gratitude. The more we practiced gratitude, the more we rested in the present moment. The more we rested in the present moment, the more we stood together in community, and thus, the happier we got. The practices were not always easy, by the way. They do require, paradoxically, some real rigor to let go into lightness. But after a while, it seemed clear that our joy resulted from the work we had done to align ourselves with the Laws of Enough.

I began to understand the idea of “en-light-en-ment” as, at least in part, being a lightening of one’s burdens, one’s seriousness, one’s sense of weight. The deeper I rested, the deeper I knew, unequivocally, that I belonged here and that I was enough. I recognized that I was a being that lived in layers of stories, many of which I inherited. But I also recognized that I had the power to create new stories for myself, new stories that brought forth more joy. I truly was a creator of my life, and a joyful life at that.

Julio Olalla, president of The Newfield Network, once said, “Excitement is the killer of joy.” We keep reaching for something outside to stimulate, entertain and thrill us. For one moment we do feel a rush, maybe even a bit of joy. Sadly though, it’s fleeting and requires the next hit of stimulation after we feel the excitement subside.

The joy to which I am referring is a sustainable resource—a renewable energy. This bounty is available to us at all times. It is infinite. It becomes available when we turn our attention from the external world of objects, status and material success to the internal world of heart and soul.

If you work your way through the Laws of Enough, you will land in a pool of joy. It’s a promise. Where to start?

Appreciate this moment. What is here in this generous, alive moment? How is that enough just as it is?

Express gratitude. What are you thankful for? Your family? Your friends? Your pet? Your job? Life?

Belong. See the truth of your own belonging and know that no person or social system can take it from you.

Forgive. Forgiving yourself or others is often the key to unlocking the door to joy. Try it.

Laugh. Watch a comedy and laugh. Work those belly muscles. You will feel instant joy.

Rest. Get your nervous system unhooked from the hormones of stress. This is the primary gateway to experiencing the well spring of joy available to all beings. This renewable resource is free to all who do the work to experience it.