Every year during the holiday season, I host an event on my blog. This year it is Five Days of Joy and Bliss. Each day, for five days, we will feature tools and tips to help you experience more joy and bliss this holiday season and into 2022.  Please comment on the blog posts, and/or share them on social media. I will be giving away a $50 Amazon gift card through a drawing from all of the comments and shares at the end of the event.

Day 2 of 5 Days of Joy and Bliss

What really makes you happy? Chances are that it is not the gifts, the trips, or the things. Yes, all of that is fun and it’s wonderful to enjoy and appreciate things. However, happiness comes from your inner world. Happiness is tied to feelings of freedom, adventure, fulfillment, inner peace, making a difference, and loving. If you doubt this, think back to a time when you felt unhappy and you went on a shopping spree to counteract the sadness, overwhelm, anxiety, or frustration you were feeling. Maybe you felt elated for a while, but the feeling was fleeting.

When you say, I will be happy when I am out of debt, buy the house, I have kids, my kids are grown, I get that job promotion, or I go on my dream vacation, it is not true. Why? Because you bring yourself to these experiences. If you haven’t learned to be happy now, no one thing or circumstance will bring lasting happiness. This is truly beautiful because this means that what you have been searching for is here now. You can be happy here now. Your goals are worthwhile and I believe humans are born to create and that we feel an inner drive to create. But we can be happy during the process.

Since my teenage brother died of suicide in 1985, I have researched and studied happiness which led to my first book in 2008 Keys to Living Joyfully. Even though my happiness journey began because of a tragedy in my life, I also have my own on and off struggles with depression. Yet, I consider overall, that I am a very happy, and joy-filled person. I do have bouts of depression or dark night of the soul moments, but I have loved myself through the downtimes and learned how to focus on better feeling thoughts and actions. And some episodes have required medication. Sometimes my brain just doesn’t make enough serotonin (that’s what my doctor said). I embrace a holistic approach combining modern medicine and what we know about brain chemistry with body movement, energetic, spiritual, and mindset techniques. The worst thing for me was to beat myself up over feeling depressed. (If you have been down for a while, please check in with your doctor. If it feels like an emergency or you just really need to talk to someone immediately- call a hotline- here is the US number 800-273-8255). Don’t suffer in silence. When I was depressed, my husband had no idea because I was and am a carry-on kind of person. I don’t dwell on depression, yet I think it is important to acknowledge the struggle. Feeling down isn’t a sign of weakness and it doesn’t have to be permanent either. I made up my mind that I want to be a happy person, and I am most of the time. When I am not, that is okay too. I embrace and love all of me.

Today I am sharing a method to move you to better feeling thoughts.

How can you follow your joy and bliss right now and not wait for someday to be happy?

Your Grandma was right- appreciate what you have now.  This is a simple idea, but for many people, it is easier said than done.  Why? Because it is so much easier to get caught up in thinking about what is unfair.

Here is a simple exercise: Make a list of everything that you feel is unjust in your life. Maybe your sibling owes you money. Maybe you lost your job due to down-sizing. Maybe your parents had favorites. Maybe you made a bad investment. You have an unreasonable ex. Write down everything. Once you finish, ask, “Am I willing to let this go?” If not, ask, “Am I willing to be willing to let this go?”

If you don’t feel willing to forgive, here is a helpful prayer that I have said many times in my life: “Dear God, Please help me to open my heart to be willing to be willing to forgive, Amen.”

This would soften my heart. Sometimes instantly or eventually, (it depended on my level of stubbornness), I would truly forgive and let go.

Even if you haven’t let go fully, yet, you can still practice gratitude and appreciation. Gratitude and resentment cannot be thoughts that are held at the same time. The more you practice gratitude, the less you will feel resentment about what is unjust or unfair in your life.

The key is to write an appreciation list and only put the things on this list that you feel grateful for, don’t put anything on that you think you should feel grateful for. No “shoulds”. Let your heart fill with appreciation.

Once you are feeling deep appreciation, ask, “What would it feel like to follow my bliss today?” Pause, then notice if you get any intuitive information. Listen. If you feel guided towards an action step, take it.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Featured Freebie today: Mindset Mastery Journal Prompts

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Sheri Kaye Hoff, is a Transformational Business Coach known for inspiring, intuition, vision, and massive action, and being a catalyst for personal and business growth, joy, and profits in a way that is fun, relaxing, and fulfilling. She uses both spiritual and practical techniques to obliterate blocks and create transformational change. Sheri is a business, leadership, happiness, and inner game expert. She has overcome nearly dying and has made it her life mission to share the keys to happiness and success. Learn More About Sheri

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