Joy Instead of Stress

How can you find joy in a period of uncertainty? It's nearly impossible to enjoy the things we have or the people we love because we spend too much time wishing we didn't have this problem or that problem, wishing "if only". While it's true that we all have problems, it's not true that you have to wait until a perfect situation presents itself to have joy and happiness.

The truth is that joy and its close relative, happiness, is all around. Joy is defined as pure unadulterated goodness, like a mix of happiness and satisfaction with just a touch of thankfulness sprinkled in. Joy can be found in your life. In the simple things that bring you small bursts of pleasure.

Why you should embrace these mini moments is the purpose of this article. It is an act of self-preservation to experience joy. If you can find a way to enjoy the simple and silly things in your life, you will open the door to true joy and push unhappiness out. After all, we all need armor to protect us from having our joy and happiness stolen away.

When our world is inundated with war, health care reform, a crumbled and broken economy and dozens of other problems, it becomes imperative to seek out joy. Joy is your life line; joy is the only thing that you can count on to take you out of tribulation and into peace. You see, we can't wave a magic wand and make these problems disappear, but we can remove ourselves from the turmoil and chaos and force a moment of joy into place.

Joy is as real as any other emotion, but it is one many people are not familiar with and don't know where to find it. Joy is all around and even in the simple things we do everyday. Morning coffee is something we love, we look forward to and yet most of us rush through it. We're just too busy to sit down and enjoy it. How can we begin a new day in this way? What good can come from it?

Instead of rushing, wake up a half hour earlier so the first moment of your day is a joyful one. Stop rushing. Find your favorite space, fill your coffee cup, sit down and relax. Sit outside when weather permits and reflect on the sounds of the birds, or the cool breeze in the air. Make the moment linger. Perhaps if we sip in measure, we can force the feeling to remain in us a bit longer.

Take this one moment of happiness and satisfaction and interject thankfulness. What are you thankful for? Remember that the "glass is half empty" attitude will cause negativity to fester and your pure moment of joy will disappear into an abyss.

Slow your life down to a more manageable speed, really what's the hurry? So many wonderful moments come to us every day, but we're too busy to notice. A moment of joy can be fleeting unless we embrace it.

How many of you still haven't joined Facebook? This social network is easy to sign up for and a lot of fun to use. The beauty is that it enables us to make new friends and find old ones. Perhaps you have friends you've lost touch with? How much would you pay for this privilege? The great news is you pay nothing, but reap the reward. Finding old friends brings about joy and allows us to close old wounds, to right wrongs and to let people we care about know that they mattered. This is joy; this is healing of mind and soul.

Find your joy even in the simple, like a fun email or a good book, a cup of coffee or a chat with an old pal. Don't let resentment, worry, bitterness or anger ruin your chance for joy. Don't fret over small things, turn off the television and pay attention to the people around you. Find joy in the everyday and don't let it pass you by. If you slow down and seek it out, these moments will come to you throughout the day and drown out the negativity.

Where is your joy hiding? Is joy waiting at the dinner table scarfing down their favorite meal? Is joy giggling and hiding under a blanket in a game of hide and seek? Is joy a swim on a hot summer day? Perhaps joy is finding an old school friend and catching up on old times. Perhaps your joy is under your nose awaiting discovery?

Joy is a powerful emotion, but will be a rare occurrence unless we seek it out. Dig for it, enjoy the small things in your life, or frown, complain and wonder why other people are happy in your misery and most of all realize that you are in charge of your own happiness.