Living joyfully might sound simple but it is hard to do. In fact, you may find yourself plagued with negative thoughts that make you feel miserable. Sometimes I find myself imagining a tragedy happening to one of my children or fixating on my husband’s negative qualities, and my thoughts are clouded in darkness. If you are proactively taking the next two steps, you can transform those dark thoughts and begin to live life filled with joy.
1. Discard Negative Thoughts
The first thing you should try is to reduce the amount of time you spend on negative thoughts. Do you spend a lot of your time thinking of ways in which you might fail? Do you think back on things you had said in the past and dwell on your mistakes? If so, try to gradually reduce the amount of time you spend on these pessimistic thoughts. Once you have reflected and learned from your mistakes you should put them out of your mind. Tell yourself, “I’ve spent enough time on this, and now I am going to stop thinking about it!” It is all about making a habit of not dwelling but moving forward positively.
2. Finding Joys
Another thing you can try is to find the joys in your life. There are any numbers of things in your daily life that bring you happiness. You just have to make the effort to identify them. So try to find seeds of happiness around you – things that make you feel happy to be alive and things that give your real satisfaction and joy.
Now, whenever I find myself thinking anything negative about my children or husband, I quickly discard them from my mind and think about all the numerous things about them that bring joy to my life and that I am thankful for. This daily practice has filled my life with such a deep appreciation for all that I have.
To live joyfully, discover something good in your life every day. There is a proverb that says, “Do one good turn every day,” but take this to mean, “Find one good thing every day.” This is the start of the journey to a fulfilled and joyful life.
Consider this: There are any numbers of things in your daily life that bring you happiness.
Try this: Find a seed of happiness – something that made you feel happy today.
Find out more on how to live joyfully. Read Tips to Find Happiness.
