The habit of joy

I think by now we are all aware of how important it is to have a gratitude practice
To live with a sense of gratefulness is a key to a very happy life 
I learned about keeping a gratitude journal from the Oprah show, decades ago 
I’ve kept one going since then and have filled dozens of books with my lists
I have a practice of listing five things each day I am grateful for 
It’s a habit now 
But, several years ago I realized that my joy quotient was pretty low
I was certainly grateful to be getting better but I wasn’t feeling joy very often
That’s when I decided to add a joy moment to my gratitude list
It’s the last thing I write and it’s a reflection on the day before and what brought me the most joy 
It’s a fantastic thing to do 
It’s a good reminder that even in the tough days 
You can still find a moment of joy, somewhere 
I signed up for a free four day course from one of my favorite humans, Nicole Meline
Today she discussed practicing joy and asking the question, what would joy do?
The practice of joy is essential to a happy life and mind
We all have thoughts that run on a loop
Mine are usually fear based and pretty terrifying 
I’m sure most of you have some dark ones too
But, what would it look like if we viewed our days through the lens of joy?
How would your work be different?
How would your relationships be?
How would you feel?
I absolutely love the way joy feels
It’s a whole body feeling of contentment and being right in the moment and nowhere else
I love that we can practice this 
I love that we have the ability to sit with ourselves and get deep into what works and with what doesn’t 
It’s called a practice for a reason
No one has it on lock 
But, it sure makes sense to try it
What does joy look like to you?
And, what would it feel like if you found it everyday