Happiness Blog July 15, 2019

We have all had times of joy in our life, even if they were only the briefest of moments. Feeling joy and catching joyful moments is an important part of increasing overall happiness and well-being. Attending to our joyful moments allows us to take notice of what brings us joy. Once we are aware of what brings us joy, we can actively seek it out. In week one of July, we did a bit of reflecting on what brings us joy. This week, we are going to dig even deeper, looking back over our lives for those joyful moments. Looking back can often help us remember who we are and how we came to be where we are.

When we know who we are, answering the question of what brings us joy becomes easier. It can be something simple and easily attainable or something complex and more difficult to achieve. Either way, once identified, we can make a plan on how to achieve it. It is true that joy comes easier to some than others, and that’s ok. This is about you and your process. Living a joyful life is not about focusing on how others achieve joy. It is about focusing on yourself and what brings you joy. Focusing on our own happiness and joy can feel selfish and wrong, but it is not. When we are happy and joyful, we move through the world more joyfully.

Joyful people are able to express more kindness, friendliness, and patience than those who struggle to feel joy. Increasing our joy increases our emotional resilience and gives more control over our tone and our reactions. The more emotional resilience we have, the better we are at acting in ways that we feel good about. When we feel good about our actions, we feel less guilt and shame, which are two really big happiness destroyers. Reducing guilt and shame allows us to know we are worthy of happiness and joy. We can achieve our goals. We can be more joyful as long as we dedicate ourselves to the work.

Posted on Monday: 15 July, 2019