How To Find Joy In Each Day

Have you every had a bad day where things just didn't seem to go right or flow smoothly? Have you ever had a day where you felt "what's the point"? Have you ever had a day that you felt like just giving up because people, things, or places seemed "just messed up or crazy and out of control"? Was there ever a day where there seemed to be no joy anywhere in your heart, soul or spirit. If so, you have been where many people often find themselves at some point in life. Well, don't fret, because joy can be yours everyday. How do I know? I know because I have been able to define joy and find it each and every day. I admit that there are some days that finding joy seems to take a bit more of a conscious effort than others. However, it can be done. There are a few simple steps to doing this. The first step is realizing that joy can be found and truly believe it can be found. Recognize that there is a God, a supreme being, a powerful source that wants joy to be obtained and is waiting for you to claim it and accept it. The second and most important step is to actively find it. The daunting question is "how". To be able to find it you must know what you are looking for. How you defined joy for yourself will determine the ease or complexity of finding it. For me, I found that starting with the smallest and simplest things that could bring joy were the easiest and fastest way to reach my goal of obtaining joy. Each day is a new day. All things of yesterday, a month ago or a year ago or longer are all gone and over. Based upon all I have read, heard, and been taught, all recommend the practice of living in the present, the actual moment. Another thing I gathered and found helpful was to identify the things I am grateful for. Things as simple as being able to do things for myself like bathe, eat, and walk. Things I can do like see, talk, and smell. Things I have whether good, great or not as good like a place to sleep and call home. Knowing that there is the opportunity for things to always get better with each new day, a new chance to start over in some way, either big or small. After that, I focus on only those positive things and thus create my joy for that day. We have all heard "you are what you eat". Well, also embrace this familiar saying "as a man thinketh, so is he". Meaning, "you are what you think". If we always think negative we will become engulfed with negative energy and thus always be plagued with negative thoughts, feelings,and situations which almost always leads to negative and sometimes self destructive actions. I strongly believe in the power and validity of the cognitive triangle - thinking, feeling, and behaviors. Meaning that I believe that all 3 are connected.  By changing ones's thoughts, one can change their feelings and thus change their behaviors or actions, which in my opinion can change the outcome of a situation as well. Meditation, a simple list of things you are grateful for and prayer are very helpful tools to use to reach the goal of finding your joy. Therefore, if each day you meditate, pray and focus on positive things and things you can be grateful for and turn any negative thought you have into a positive thought, you will begin to feel better. When you begin to feel better and live in the moment only, you will be able to respond differently and thus recognize, feel, and experience joy each day. Joy is there! You just have to seek it, claim it, and then embrace it.