Creating Joy in Your Life with These Six Steps

1. Practice Gratefulness- Become more thankful for all you have in your life. We often take for granted the many gifts that God gives us and are available to us every day, such as our incredible bodies, our homes, our families and friends, and the beauty of nature that surrounds us. Taking time each day to give thanks to God for all the blessings in our lives can bring us into more conscious of attunement with the truly loving and great God that we have in our lives.

2. Practice meditating on God’s word- Even taking just 10 or 15 minutes a day to turn our eyes upon God, who is our inner peace, will bring more to our day and teach us to become more calm and centered. The more we practice spending time with God, the greater our ability to handle the stress in our day-to-day lives, and to accept, and realize the ultimate ever changing nature of our being is to be indwelled with Christ.

3. Practice forgiveness- We can never become truly joyful if we are holding onto grudges or past wrongdoings. The resentment we feel ultimately hurts ourselves much more than the person who cause us harm. Even more importantly we need to forgive ourselves for any past transgressions and learn from them what lessons we were intended to learn from God in order to move beyond them. Constantly beating ourselves up for something we did in the past will not change what happened, but it will affect our ability to be happy and to truly love and accept ourselves.

4. Reconnect with nature- Try to spend some time at least once a week, in nature. Depending on where you live, you might go for a hike in the woods, stroll along the beach, start a vegetable or a flower garden, or just take a walk around your neighborhood. Enjoy a moment with a loved one gazing at the stars or appreciating the beautiful sunset. This time communing with nature and God can nourish our souls in ways that watching television or texting friends can never do.

5. Care for your body- Our bodies, minds, and spirit are deeply interconnected; so nourishing all of them is essential. Eat plenty of healthy, organic produce whenever possible, and avoid adding sugars and processed foods to your diet. Also try to exercise several times a week to increase your stamina and sense of well-being. The body will respond by feeling healthier and more energized and your face will shine with a healthy glow.

6. Take up some kind of creative endeavor- Sign up for our class, write a poem, design a new outfit, build a piece of furniture, or make a healthy new smoothie or muffin recipe. Get your creative juices flowing and have fun with whatever project you take on.

Charles Calvert PhD