Without joy in your life, there doesn’t feel like there’s a point. You feel like you’re just scraping the bottom, going through the motions, and not really doing what you’re supposed to be doing with your life. Life is not meant to be a purgatory of never ending to-do lists and obligations. You are meant to do more than survive.
How do you find that joy? You have to recognize it, feel it, and nurture it.
At any given time in our lives, there are wonderful things happening in our lives and around us. Even during the bleakest times, there are things to be grateful for. We need to remind ourselves to look for them and notice them. We need to recognise them and give ourselves permission to appreciate them.
Maybe you do feel like you’re just surviving. Can you still be grateful for people in your family? For friends? Can you take a few minutes to just breathe? Can you spend a few minutes doing something just for yourself?
Maybe your relationship is going through a rough time. Can you be grateful for the good times? Can you notice the things your partner does to make your life better? Can you be grateful that you have someone to talk to? Can you be grateful for a little you time to reflect and remember what you love about your partner?
Maybe your professional life is boring and in a rut? Can you be grateful for your co-workers who add a little spice to the day? Can you be grateful for the money you’re making to take home to the kids? Can you be grateful for the lack of stress that a more demanding job would entail?
When you notice something you can be grateful for, allow yourself a few minutes to feel grateful. Feel the joy in your heart. Let that positive feeling embrace you. Really get into that good feeling and try to stay in it for a few minutes. Every time you do the gratitude exercise, try to stay in that good feeling for an extra minute. Build your gratitude resistance.
Grow your tolerance for joy. Stay in the joy a little longer each time. Nurture the joy in everything you do. Find something positive and go with it. Feel the joy.
