Find Joy This Summer

Enjoy Summer by Claiming Joy

Making a decision to claim joy, even when life is challenging, is a skill. During a particularly difficult time in my life I learned that joy is different from mere happiness. Happiness is a fickle emotion that comes and goes like the wind, but joy rises above mood and circumstances. Joy comes from living life with intentionality. Here are a few practical tips to intentionally claim joy.

SENSORY EXPERIENCES
Pay attention to all the things you can sense because you have been given eyes, ears, fingertips, a nose, and a tongue. Don’t allow yourself to take sensory experiences for granted. The next time you smell something wonderful, stop, and smell it again!

LAUGHTER
Laughter is like internal aerobics. Circulation and heart rate are improved, and blood pressure is lowered. What makes you laugh these days? Is it being in the company of a silly child? Figure out what – or who – pushes you to laugh, and then giggle, chuckle, and guffaw!

NATURE
The natural world generates joy. Take yourself to a place where you can be surrounded by birds, trees, butterflies, plants, or moving water. Look long and hard at one, single, glorious thing, like a flower or the moon, until you learn to be in love with your life again.

MUSIC
Music moves the soul and changes the mood. I have one music playlist labeled “Can’t Sit Still” and that’s just what it does for me. It makes me tap my toe and before you know it, I’m dancing around the house. (I don’t recommend this while driving a car.) Burn a CD or create an I-pod playlist that you absolutely love, and then play it LOUDLY!

SANCTUARY
A sanctuary is a place where I keep my sanity in times of confusion and my hope in times of despair. It’s where I go when not much else makes sense. It’s my “still point” in a fast turning world. In my own life, I have a favorite patch of grass under a big tree. Sometimes I go there alone to read and write. Some days I meet a friend there to share a sandwich. Whenever I return to this place I feel peace and joy. Where will you go for sanctuary?