How to find joy

How often do you feel joy – a truly pure, unadulterated feeling of delight, bliss and happiness? As children, joy was a familiar feeling for many of us. As we become adults, we’re given more and more rules to follow. We start climbing the career ladder, raising families and working toward financial freedom. Along the way, we forget how to find joy. We forget to be present in our own lives.

A rewarding career and financial freedom are important goals. But the key to fulfillment – the key to how to have more joy in your life – is to discover your purpose and give back to others. Finding joy in your life is an ongoing journey that begins with a set of practices that will ultimately lead you to happiness.

1. Let go of the past

Your past is not your future unless you live there – and living there prevents you from learning how to find joy in the present. If you’ve lost a loved one, ended a relationship or have been struggling financially, these are certainly valid reasons to feel down. Let yourself feel sad or lonely, but never hopeless. Ask yourself what you can learn about yourself from your experiences and emotions. Then let go of the past. You deserve to feel joy again.

2. Practice gratitude

One way to move on from the past and feel joy in your life is to practice gratitude. By choosing to be optimistic and focus on the good things in your life, you can actually train your brain to feel joy more often. As Tony says, “When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” That’s how gratitude creates a cycle of positive emotions: The more you practice gratitude, the more positive emotions you will feel.

3. Use the law of attraction

The more positivity you feel, the more you will attract positivity in your life – that’s the law of attraction. This principle has been around for thousands of years and is used by the world’s most successful people to design the lives of their dreams. It isn’t complicated: What you focus on, you attract. Focus on creating joy in your own life and sharing it with others, and you’ll naturally attract even more joy.

4. Surround yourself with positive people

Surrounding yourself with good people goes hand in hand with the law of attraction and is vital to every area of your life. When you’re surrounded by positive people, it will be nearly impossible to feel pessimistic. They’ll lift your spirits and help you find the good in any situation. Letting go of people who don’t make you feel joy – or who actively work against it – isn’t always easy. However, you cannot learn how to find joy with their toxic negativity holding you back.

5. Change your physiology

We’ve all heard the expression “fake it ‘til you make it.” If you’re still having trouble shifting your focus to feel joy instead of negativity, put on a smile. You’ll tell your brain you’re happy – even if you’re not. Change your posture by standing up tall, throwing your shoulders back or even adopting a power pose. Confident physiology can change your entire demeanor.

6. Create positive daily rituals

Learning how to have more joy in your life starts with your mindset, and your daily routine has a powerful effect on your state of mind. Exercise is proven to reduce depression. Even a 15-minute run or an hour-long walk per day can boost your mood, so find exercise you enjoy and make it a part of your routine. Eating right is just as important, and adding mindfulness practices like priming, meditation or journaling will help you feel joy on a daily basis.

7. Be fully present

We live in a fast-paced world. We’re always planning our next move, searching for that perfect relationship or throwing ourselves into work. When we do relax, we’re glued to our phones – and social media constantly reminds us of what we’re missing. How can we feel joy when we are always searching for something better? Unplug. Focus on the present. Notice what’s around you and savor it. That’s true joy.

8. Find your purpose

When you’ve set yourself up for success through gratitude, empowering daily rituals and mindfulness, you’re ready to find your purpose. Your purpose goes beyond your career or short-term goals. It’s what gives your life meaning. It’s the thing that you most want to accomplish in life. It’s your legacy. What makes you feel joy? What do you want to be remembered for?

9. Give back

The secret to living is giving. Making a difference in the lives of others brings meaning to our own lives and reminds us of all that we have. That’s why learning how to have more joy in your life always involves giving back. You don’t need money to find fulfillment through giving. All you need is a desire to do good in the world and the drive to donate your time, skills or expertise to a cause.