Imagine a life without joy. Just the thought of it makes me sad! Joy is what makes life juicy, delightful, beautiful. Joy is what lifts us out of the darkness of pain and heartbreak. Joy comes in small burts of delight or in large deluges!!
Joy can break us out of destructive thought patterns and inspire us to aim higher, to focus on the present on future possibilities. Here are 3 simple ways to help you find joy in every day:
Play More.
Adults often forget to play, forget the importance of play and then what happens? A boring life happens, that’s what! No fun=work driven adult with no free time. So I would challenge you to play more. Play with your kids more. Make time to play with your spouse more. Foster that intimacy, goofy-ness and laughter. Make play time even more important than a balanced diet sometimes! Heck, turn off your cell phone, throw some fruit, crackers and cheese into your backpack and get outside. Get on the floor and wrestle. Turn on the music and dance!
Tell A New Story.
Do you dislike the story you tell others about your life or how you’re feeling? Do you find yourself telling others how tired, unsatisfied with your health or work-life you are? In order for you to feel excited, happy or joyful about your current state and future you need to make some new decisions.
What would you like to learn more about? Continuing to learn makes me feel fresh and happy. Are you stuck in the past? Did something happen that hurt you badly and now most of your thoughts tend to drift back to the pain? What other way of looking at the same experience could you adopt. Putting on a new set of glasses and talking about your past from that perspective can really help to change your story.
Take A Leap Of Faith
Deciding to believe in yourself and take one little risky step out of your comfort bubble is extremely revitalizing. There is an element of fear related to any leap of faith. It requires a good measure of self belief to move out of your comfort zone. Making decisions in alignment with what feels good instead of what you feel you ‘should’ do is a leap of faith for many. The beautiful thing about challenging yourself in how you show up in your relationships, at work, as a parent is that you build your confidence when you do. As your confidence increases, your joy increases!
There’s nothing wrong with feeling joyful. Search for joy. Actively pursue people and experiences that help you feel joyful and watch your mood shift xo