When you look at Charlie Brown and Snoopy doing their happy dance, it makes it hard to think about not living in joy. Granted, there are always unexpected things happening each and every day; but really… wouldn’t life be boring if everything went according to plan, every single day?
Think of the things that bring you joy that are the result of something unexpected:
- a butterfly lands on your nose
- your baby says “Mama” for the first time
- your dog jumps up to give you a kiss just when you need it most
- you unexpectedly run into an old friend on the street
If you hadn’t planned for those joyful happenings, and everything went according to plan, think of all the good things in life you would have missed out on!
Now, before you tell me I’m all sugar plum fairies and pie in the sky this morning, I know that there are things to be stressed about. Lost jobs, bills to pay, groceries to buy, kids to outfit for summer camp, sports and whatever else their hearts desire… But we all know that happiness is a choice right? And you can let all the stress and worry of everyday living and let it suck the joy out of you, OR you can make a choice to create a joyful day for yourself in spite of all the negative stuff.
So what’s it gonna be? You gonna do the happy dance, with Charlie, Snoopy and me?
Here are six ways you can create a joyful day for yourself:
1. Start your day off right.
It’s important to have an empowering morning routine that gets your day started on the right foot. Picture your day going smoothly and being filled with joy. Use an affirmation such as “Today is a joyful day for me!” to set the mood before your feet even hit the floor.
2. Stick up for yourself.
When you hit one of those unexpectedly negative events that have the potential to ruin your day, put your strengths to work for you. Only you get to decide what will ruin your day, and if this is something that doesn’t deserve to have power over you, stick up for yourself and don’t give in to it!
Too often we find ourselves at the mercy of other people’s actions defining our days and how we feel, and it’s time to stop. No one can take your joy away without your consent, so don’t let them.
3. Look for something good to focus on.
So you’ve just won your first battle of the day with the “negative nellies”. Now shake off the residue and look for something positive to come at you. This is a good time to remind yourself that the day’s not over yet. You could still get kissed by a butterfly, run into an old friend, hit all the green lights on the way home, or any number of other things all designed to make you smile.
Creating joy in your day comes as much from how you think about things just as much as what those things actually are. So think good thoughts, and good things are bound to show up throughout the rest of the day.
4. Know when to let go.
Sometimes you can create joy in your day by just knowing when to let something go. It could be that just one little glitch is causing all your frustration, and I can tell you from experience when that happens, there is much joy in walking away even for five minutes.
Stay focused on the big picture, and learn not to “sweat the small stuff.” Everything comes back into focus eventually, and you’ll rob yourself of the joy in this day if you let it get you down and keep you there.
5. Find your silver lining.
Every cloud has a silver lining, or so the old saying goes. (And just as an aside, here’s a photo of my Grandfather’s calendar from October 1910 that says so!) So there has to be something positive in that thought right?
If you can find one positive lesson in the frustrating situation you just walked away from, you can create joy in your day from that. You’ve learned something new, and you can file that away for the next time something like this comes up.
6. Treat your life as an adventure.
When you are on the lookout for ways to create joy in your day, life becomes a grand adventure. There’s always something going on, and each challenge or obstacle to your joyful day is a new opportunity for you to build your confidence, empower yourself, and just be happy!
When you shift your mindset from “This can’t be good” to “This could be really good” amazing things happen. If you think of life as an adventure to navigate, then positivity and joy are the keys to opening up all the secret passageways. And you know that secret passageways are where all the good stuff happens in an adventure, right?
However you decide to go about creating joy in your day, always remember that happiness is your choice! You get to decide whether you will let frustration and negative energy get you down, or if you’ll shake it off and do a happy dance.
The power is yours! I hope you’ll come dance with me.
Credits: Many thanks to Sheryl @ Cultivating Your Feminine Spirit for the use of her Peanuts image. :)
