Are you ready to embark on a journey towards everlasting joy? Take several long breaths. As you exhale, let out the worries of the day. Consciously pay attention to each muscle in your body, starting at the top of your head. Note the muscles in your jaws, tighten them for a second and then allow them to relax. Move down to the shoulders, arms, fingers, etc. tightening and then relaxing each set of muscles. Then continue, moving down to your toes. Breathe in as you tighten the muscles; breathe out as you relax the muscles. This is a good exercise to practice whenever you find yourself out of balance or wish to relax or meditate.

How do you find balance in all things? How can you stay centered no matter what event is occurring in your life? How can you find and experience joy even in times of extreme chaos? Start by simply telling yourself it is so, that you are balanced in this moment. That may seem overly simplistic, but it is the bottom line. With practice, it will become easier until it becomes your truth.

Begin by focusing on memories and feelings that made you feel good in the past or present. Feel these emotions. Send gratitude to anyone involved. Allow yourself to feel the joy you felt during that event. Bask in these feelings for as long as you desire. The purpose is to remind yourself how it feels to be in joy. Remember these feelings.

Once you are able to feel joy, how can you maintain it? The first step is to begin to consciously monitor your thoughts. At first, this may seem tedious, but it will get easier with practice. Every time you find yourself thinking negative thoughts, think again. At first, your mind will insist on falling back into its old patterns and try to dwell on the event that is causing you distress. You have trained your mind to do this and it is fully within your ability to retrain yourself. Speak only positive words, think only positive thoughts and look for the blessings in each event that causes you to be upset. Before long, you will be laughing at yourself for overreacting to events that now seem so trivial.

© 2016 Theresa Crabtree. All Rights Reserved.
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