Stress can almost seem so normal that we subconsciously search for it even when we’re joyful.

We don’t allow ourselves to be joyful.

Is it that we are self sabotaging ourselves?

For me, I got shocked when I realized how on edge I always am. It jolted me into a deliberate decision to be joyful, practice gratitude, pray and give thanks in every situation.

And I hope you, like me, purpose to be joyful. After all, even the Good Book says, “Rejoice, and again I say, rejoice.”

Speaking of which…

Find Joy in Other Peoples’ Successes

This is what former Hindu Monk, Jay Shetty says on how we can experience more joy.

Simply celebrate others.

“Mudita is the principle of taking sympathetic or unselfish joy in the good fortune of others. If I only find joy in my own successes, I’m limiting my joy. But if I can take pleasure in the successes of my friends and family—ten, twenty, fifty people!—I get to experience fifty times the happiness and joy. Who doesn’t want that?”

Source: Think Like A Monk: Train Your Mind For Peace And Purpose Every Day

Will Arnett

John F. Kennedy

Find Joy In The Smallest Things

It could be that you don’t know what to do in a particular situation, or you feel hopeless, frustrated or lost.

Identifying the root cause will help you ask yourself the most important question about what’s blocking your joy, “What can I do about this situation? Or me?”

Answering that honestly and objectively leads to the next question.

“Now that I know, what can I do about it?’

If the answer is nothing, then accept the situation.

If you realize you can do something, put it to practice immediately.

Start with the smallest things.

Arrange your room.

Make your bed.

Organize your desk.

Call your parents.

Forgive yourself.

Focus on one task at a time.

Accept that you can’t change all things.

For the most part, you’ll find that the biggest obstacle to joy isn’t from external circumstances, but from what lies within.

David Makuyu

Organize Your Thoughts… Smarter

He said that…

Well, no… he didn’t physically introduce me to Notion.

He mentioned it in his popular Youtube channel.

Being an entrepreneur looking for a convenient app to organize my own creative process, I was hooked.​

I signed up and explored it in greater detail.

Notion has lots of exciting templates for the creative soul.

Ali customizes the Notion book review template to suit his taste. And since I have interest in reviewing books, this was a good place to start.

It also has podcast, film, project and video templates which give you a fantastic foundation to flesh your creative thought pattern.

So….

What exactly is it?

Notion is a workspace that adapts to your needs for business or in your personal life. It’s as minimal or as powerful as you need it to be, helping you visually navigate content and remember where something is.

What I’m Reading

This book will change your thinking about what causes happiness.

If you’re tired of the usual self-help formula’s, affirmations that don’t work, homespun anecdotes, upbeat platitudes, over-the-top promises then Richard has some good news for you.

You don’t need all that.

All you need is 59 seconds where he unpacks what happiness is, what causes it and how to have more of it in your life. These quirky, sometimes counterintuitive techniques can be effortlessly incorporated into your everyday life.

For example, we were conditioned to think that when circumstances are good, then we are happy.

Wrong.

Here’s another fallacy…

We think it’s the things we own or can buy that make us happy.

This is why we believe that when we buy a bigger house, or a new car, enter a new relationship, then we will be happy.

Wrong. Again.

According to Richard Wiseman, it’s happiness that causes success.

And material things don’t cause happiness.

But we probably already knew this, right?

When we love someone, we notice that we are happy.

It didn’t cost a cent.

6 interesting take-home ideas from this book.

• Happiness doesn’t just flow from success, it actually causes it”.

• “When people can afford the necessities in life, an increase in income does not result in a significantly happier life”.

• “If you want to cheer yourself up, behave like a happy person”.

• “To maximize happiness, choose intentional over circumstantial change”.

• “Want to buy happiness? Then spend your hard-earned cash on experiences”.

• “When it comes to happiness, remember that it is experiences that represent really good value for money”.

Now that you know, are you really happy?

Has this been useful to you?

If yes, then consider becoming a subscriber.

Until then, live large. Live free.

And be joyful.

If you would like to share your happiness journey with me, contact me here!