How do you build a joyful life?

Is it possible to purposefully build joy?

While life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, you can have joy even in hard or sad times.  In times of transition it is easy to focus on the loss and the grief.  Joy is not about being laughing and happy all the time.  Joy is about knowing that life ebbs and flows, and that all experiences are needed.  Everything we go through on this journey can teach us something, and even the deepest loss has the seed of something joyful, if we choose to look for it and create it.

So how do you actually build that life of inner tranquility and radiant joy? With daily micro-habits that you use as stepping stones to create attitudes and actions that generate joy in your life.  

Let’s start with something a bit easier than the deep grief of loss - we are just beginning to move to joy, after all!  Pick a time of the day when you do something by rote: brushing your teeth, making coffee, shower, whatever.  A morning habit is suggested, but any daily habit that you do will work. Pick something that lasts less than 5 minutes and 1-2 minutes is ideal.

When you do that thing (we’ll use brushing your teeth for our example), what are you thinking about?  Your to-do list?  Today’s meetings? The fight you had with your kids or significant other?  Let’s change it up.  For that 1-2 minutes, think about something that makes you smile.  Your last vacation to the beach, the outfit that you always feel great wearing, seeing flowers in the garden, and so on.  Whatever it is, think about that while you brush your teeth.  Other thoughts will creep in, it’s okay.  There are lots of thoughts happening in our minds, and it will take time to teach it to focus on the things that bring you joy.  When you drift away, just gently bring your thoughts back to what makes you joyful.  It’s not important that you focus on a single thing while you brush your teeth.  It is the daily, purposeful intention that will help you move to joy.

Step 3: Move to  joy

Today’s micro-challenge: Pick one rote activity you do daily and purposely change your thoughts for that 1 minute.