Cultivating Joy and Gratitude

It's easy to get caught in negativity and get overwhelmed by life's responsibilities, but it can be just as easy to get caught up in gratitude and joy. In my experience, the act of cultivating joy and gratitude is a fairly simple act. The challenge is in choosing it again and again despite life's ups and downs. "How do I go about cultivating joy and gratitude?", one may ask. One day, one moment, and one choice at a time. We must intentionally choose thoughts and actions that align with the life we want to create, no matter what the goal is, we have to make achieving it a priority.

I recently found myself in one of those down in the dump, laying on the couch and feeling bad for myself holes. There were some painful things going on in my life that makes sense for this type of response. The hardest thing for me when I get tripped up and dive head first into the negativity trap is that I know how to get out of it. Sometimes I just choose to wallow for a while and seem to forget to do the things that'll pick me back up and course-correct my life. Negativity breeds negativity. Gratitude creates joy.

One of the first things I do in the morning when I'm in a good place or working on prying myself off the couch and away from Netflix or some other binge-watch inducing media is a gratitude list. It is simple and quick and sounds insignificant, but it sets the tone for my day. I write down just 3 things that I am grateful for and I try and choose things that I feel really connected to and inspired by. I do this with my morning coffee most days. When I don't do this for a number of days in a row it's a good indication that I'm moving in the wrong direction or am not in the greatest of head spaces. This simple act has me coming out of

the gate looking for things that fill my heart up. It orients my thinking so that I look for the good and am focused on what brings me joy.

The next thing I do is set the intention for the day and after a quick gratitude list, I've noticed my intention for the day can be more uplifting and less check it off the listy after a short period of bringing up the good. I have to prioritize myself and the things that bring joy. I fail to do this often. I remembered this recently and yesterday I had a fantastic day. One of the things that makes me feel alive and safe and well in this world is being out on the water. I was determined to go kayaking yesterday and made plans early to make sure that would happen. I decided that nothing was going to keep me from this calming and spirit renewing activity and I followed through. I made myself a priority and something that fills my soul and brings me joy.

Interestingly enough, when I got to my friend's to take the kayak out he asked if i wanted to go out on his motor boat instead! Something I enjoy even more than kayaking simply because it's such a rare occurrence. I love to kayak for two main reasons: the exercise component and being on the water. Being on the water makes me feel free. It makes me feel at ease. It soothes my soul and awakens my spirit. Yesterday, I also chose to make exercise a priority. It releases endorphins and for me creates joy as well. I went for a nice walk. The longest one I have taken in a while. When my friend asked about going out on the boat I was instantly grateful that I had chosen to go on that walk as it made it an easy choice to make. I had taken care of my exercise for the day and all that was left was getting out there on the water. I guess I share this to show that flexibility can go hand-in-hand with determination.

To wrap it up, I chose countless other positive and healthy choices yesterday. I ate foods that were good for me. I cleaned the house. I meditated. I prayed. I journaled. I watched some Reiki with ASMR videos on YouTube. I connected with friends. I mean my whole day was filled with things that made be more grateful and joyful. I woke up today feeling energized and full of the momentum that I have started building back up. I chose to write this blog, which is the first in a bit. When I can remember to intentionally live my life in this way things improve and goals are attained. I hope that each of you does something today that cultivates joy and gratitude.