3 secrets to building unconditional joy
Let's talk about unconditional joy. Unconditional. This means that, no matter the condition of the traffic, work emails, or spilled coffee, you feel JOY. At the end of the day, you're still riding your high vibe. Sounds dreamy, right?
Here's the trick. Maintenance. You don't wait until your plants are dying to water them. You water them routinely. You don't wait until your car engine blows up to change your oil. You service it routinely. Treat your SELF with the same courtesy. Maintain your joy.
1. Gratitude Stone
This one is a family favorite! Choose any stone, and place it in your pocket every morning. The intention of the stone is to prompt you to give thanks for something in your life. Each time your hand happens to slide into your pocket, you get to enjoy a moment of gratitude! As you carry this stone every day, you’ll find that you have more and more reasons to give thanks.
2. Do something creative.
Chances are that we've all thought to ourselves, "I need to be more present". After all, with presence comes mindfulness. And with mindfulness comes the ability to regulate our emotions. A foolproof way to practice presence is to create! You don't have to be an artist to do this. Something as simple as a watercolor book will have you creating beauty. Make a greeting card, write haikus. (Yes, I said it. 5/7/5, my friends.)
Or chop some crisp veggies
to create a vibrant plate of food.
See what I did there?
3. Check in on your Pleasure Scale!
The Pleasure Scale is a practice that is taught by Ahmane' Glover. Throughout the day, stop and ask yourself, "On a scale of 1-10, what is my level of pleasure?" Then, put ideas into action so that you can step closer to a 10! Wear a heat wrap on your shoulders while at your desk. Listen to stand up comedy while folding laundry. Reach for a spritz of rose water while sitting in traffic. When we routinely respond to our needs, we're teaching ourselves to choose pleasure over pain.
Weave these patterns into your days, and you'll notice that your happiness is unshakable. The reason is because the gratitude, awareness, and presence will have hardwired your connection to joy. That's quite the superpower. So grab your cape... just make sure that it has a pocket for your gratitude stone!
