Free yourself from the bondage of stress

Are you being held hostage by stress? If so, writer Loretta LaRoche suggests you keep a joy journal. She wrote:

 

Joy is not about guilt, anger, bitterness, or resentment. It comes from inner peace, the power to give and receive, and the ability to appreciate. It’s a feeling of gratitude for the gift of life. 

 

LaRoche says keeping a Joy Journal will help you maintain a feeling of elation, the sense that you’re soaring with the eagles instead of scratching in the dirt with the turkeys. In addition, starting out your day by journaling reduces stress considerably.

 

It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Too often, we start our mornings by reviewing everything we need to do that day—an endless list of tasks and duties. And we think of all the ways every single one of them might go wrong. So, we start compressing, in advance, all the horrors that could befall us in the next 15 hours. As a result, we suffer all the pain and worry before we’ve had our first cup of coffee.

 

Instead of beginning our days like this, why not start with a daily dose of joy? For a few minutes, focus on the good things that make you feel fabulous and beautiful instead of those that will make your day tedious and out of control.

 

Here are some ideas to move you in the right direction:

 

• Think of people who have made a positive difference in your life.

• List three things you do well.

• Take five by listing five things you like about yourself.

• Think of a time—or two—you had so much love in your heart you thought it would burst.

 

There are hundreds of things that give us joy. Start your day with a few of them and honor your life. . .instead of your anxiety. 

 

And if you can’t think of one thing, smile to begin your day with joy. Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”