Finding joy in times of turmoil—that’s not easy is it? In fact, sometimes it seems impossible. But it’s absolutely possible. And it’s also extraordinarily necessary.

We are in what I call the Age of Surprise, a time of tremendous upheaval, uncertainty and change. In other words, we’re in the midst of an awesome and exciting time of transformation where the opportunities for change are around every corner, waiting for us to open a newspaper or an email or a FaceBook page or turn on the news. Surprise! Who would believe the challenges we’re facing today?

It’s time now to change our minds and be able to understand what’s occurring and find joy where we couldn’t see it before. It’s time to access somewhere, someplace within us, a powerful truth that we haven’t looked at or even seen before. It’s time to access joy instead of fear or anger or anxiety or frustration. So how do we do that?

We think of joy as a “rah-rah, ha-ha, happy birthday” experience. But actually, joy is a deep, resonate state of peace where we experience connection with a greater reality with All That Is, a deep connection to a higher power, a deep connection, perhaps, to an angelic being or a spirit guide, a deep connection to our purpose in life.

Deep joy is the antidote and the resilience that enables us to get through times of turmoil and change the story.

Deep joy is rooted in gratitude—gratitude for a higher connection, gratitude for life itself, gratitude for being a part of this experience we call the human experience here on planet Earth. It is a state of feeling, a state of mental tone, a state of resonance with our inner soul. It’s the place of grace where life pushes us to be an embodiment of our soul, to see the world through different eyes, with greater compassion, with more tolerance, and deeper understanding.

In these times of pain and turmoil, it’s as if the universe is calling, blaring the whistle, saying “Humanity, humanity, follow me. Come my way. Take a new course. Take a course of action that will bring you together. Make choices that will heal the split within you and between one another. Awaken to joy.”

And it’s so easy to do! The way to find joy during times of turmoil is to enter into the simple knowledge that you are a mystical being, that you are an energetic being, that you are made up of energy, that your thoughts and emotions create an energy field that pulsates outwards. That you are a pulsar of energy.

And because you are a pulsar of energy, during times of trouble and turmoil the question that needs to be uppermost in your mind is: “What is my energy? What am I radiating into the world this very moment?” When a surprise hits, go into the Silent Watcher. Observe your energy by asking yourself, “How do I feel right this very moment? What kind of energy am I putting out to the people around me and to the world around me? What am I creating?” Then take a moment and practice tapping into that deep connection to your soul, yourself, the light of who you are, and the knowledge that joy is the effervescent fountain of life that is always filling everything with life—that this effervescent energy is always rejuvenating life, like the phoenix rising from the ashes.

Take a moment and look around and find something to be grateful for, a flower, or a beautiful tree perhaps, or a sunrise, or light traffic on the way to work, or the latte steaming in your cupholder. Find something and take a moment to tap into that deep connection with your soul and feel a moment’s gratitude, knowing you have just opened up the doorway to finding joy, and that in finding joy you are being the change you so long to see in the world around you.