The Free Joy Assessment — Joy Through Alchemy

Question 1

How often do you catch yourself feeling like you are not enough?

Almost never. That voice lost its grip a while ago. Now and then, usually when I am tired. Most weeks. It shows up before I do. Every single day. It is the loudest thing in me.

Question 2

How often does your day feel like something you are getting through instead of something you are living?

Rarely. I am mostly present in my own life. Some days, not most. Often. I am counting down more than I am here. Always. I am on autopilot and I know it.

Question 3

How often do you say yes when your body is quietly saying no?

Rarely. I can hear my no and I honor it. Sometimes, with certain people. Often. Keeping the peace usually wins. Constantly. I am not sure I know my no anymore.

Question 4

When you picture what you actually want, what shows up first?

Excitement. I can already feel it. Hope, with a little caution behind it. Doubt. The how gets in the way immediately. A quiet voice that says it is not for people like me.

Question 5

At the moment your stress is at its highest, what is the feeling underneath it?

Focus. I get quiet and I handle it. Frustration. I want it to move faster. Overwhelm, or fear that it is all on me. Guilt or shame. Somewhere in there I decided it was my fault.

Question 6

How often do you feel real gratitude, the kind you did not have to talk yourself into?

Daily. It is my default setting. Weekly, when I slow down enough. Rarely. I can list it, but I cannot feel it. I honestly cannot remember the last time.

Question 7

When something good happens, how long before you brace for the other shoe?

I do not. I let good things be good. A day or two later it creeps in. Almost right away. Before it even lands. I brace first.