Can you create joy?

How can you create an emotion?

Have you been looking for the joy around you?  

In the last post we talked about the micro-habit of “look for little things that bring joy in your day”.  I know you found at least one!  For me, seeing a colorful sunrise sparks joy that starts the day off on a positive note.  But what about when it’s cloudy?  Or raining - for the fourth day in a row?  How do you spark joy on those days?

You create it, of course!

Our first step in moving to joy was to look for it around you.  This is a great way to find joy and being to train your brain, it is fairly passive.  You are looking but maybe you can’t find it, or you get busy in your day and forget you are seeking it.  One way to have joy more actively is to create it.  

You can engineer circumstances in your day that will generate joy - and unlike most of your to-do list, this one will seem effortless once you get the hang of it. 

Start by taking a few minutes and thinking about what you love.  Maybe it’s the aroma of that first cup of coffee, or waking up next to your significant other.  Or perhaps when your child has a beaming moment of discovery and wants to share it with you (a different spin on “Mama, look!).  Maybe it’s creating a new product or finding a new market.  It can be anything that brings you a feeling of peace or a positive energy.

Now take just one of the things that you love and plan on how you can make it happen today.  Instead of thinking of your entire to-do list while you sip your coffee, empty your mind and use your coffee as a way to set your intention for the day (a quiet type of joy).  Instead of being annoyed at the interruption, take 60 seconds and focus on your child or significant other when they want to share something.  Imagine the feeling of creating something new today in your business instead of the endless task list of emails and finances.  Just create a basic idea (no need for a full project plan!)  of how you could create a moment of joy in your life today.

Finally, actually create that 60 seconds of purposeful joy in your life today. Focus on the feeling you create in yourself. That little spark of joy is the beginning.  The start of how you are going to be able to create radiant joy in your life.  Because you can have that joy you have always wanted - and you can create it, you don’t have to wait for it!

Step 2: Create joy

Today’s micro-challenge: Engineer 60 seconds of purposeful joy in your day