In my previous post, How to Access the Power of Gratitude, I’ve told you that the practice of gratitude is considered related to lasting happiness. There are studies supporting this idea, and if you’ve ever tapped into that practice yourself, you might have noticed the pervasive sense of beauty that accompanies it.

So my question here is: how much do Joy and Happiness matter to you? 

When I first started this practice myself, I found it very hard to even begin a list of things I was grateful for. Until after insisting for a few days, something shifted and I realized I had set my research for meaningful stuff in the “out there”. The thing I had (or had not), the successes I thought I was supposed to be enjoying already, and so forth. Sure those things are important too, but they come…and then they go.

What stays with you forever is the warm hug of a friend or loved one, the smile your kid reserves to you every morning, the simple kind gesture of a total stranger.

Every day, a lot of people buy too much stuff, eat too much food, and waste away their hours chasing after happiness…to no avail. They may find excitement or satiation, but that joy and happiness still elude them.

If you’re really committed to experiencing more Joy and Happiness in your daily life, there are a few easy steps that I find can complement your Gratitude Journal practice. And I promise you – they’ll work even if you haven’t started journaling yet.

1. Quit Complaining. 

The first step is to stop trying to find what’s wrong with the world around you and blaming external circumstances for what’s not working in your life. When you focus all of your attention there, you’ll never see the good stuff.
Complaining poisons your soul and the one of who surrounds you. Decide to refrain from it, once and for all.

       2. Choose Love. 

Sure it’s hard, especially in the beginning, when we see any kind of fault and defects in most of the people (or situations) around us. But when you stop poisoning your thoughts with endless complaints, suddenly it becomes easier to look through the eyes of love and compassion. We all have made mistakes, we all have something good about us. Can you accept that we’re all human, after all?

      3. Appreciate Life. 

Comes full circle…. start (or keep on!) expressing your gratitude every day. In your Gratitude Journal, make sure to write down at least 3 things you’re grateful for every day. Before long, you’ll have more to appreciate than you can count. I’ve got a sweet Gratitude Journal I’d like to gift you to get you started right away. Just click HERE to get it.

And because I believe in the power of good questions, I would like to ask you:

What can YOU do to create more joy and happiness in your life TODAY? 

Let me know in the comments below!