7 Ways to Discover Joy

Find More Joy in Life

Many of us reach a point when our lives become routine, dull, and thankless. We lose our sense of meaning and direction. There seems to be a lack of purpose and feelings of hopelessness permeate our very being. We do reach a time when we are tired of being emotionally constipated and seek out ways to break this numbing cycle. The time has come to venture into something new.

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Listen to Music

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Select songs that will make you happy or if you haven't cried for a long time, select songs that will induce sadness. The release of tears will help you let go of what ever is keeping you stuck.

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Follow Your Dream

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If you have had a long term dream of writing a book, opening a store, moving to the country or running for political office, now is the time to pursue that dream instead of merely fantasizing about it.

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Let Go of Grief

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You may havebeen deeply hurt during your childhood. One of your parents may have died abruptly or you may have been abused. If you are having difficulty forming and keeping relationships and if you have had a loss or traumatic event years ago and it seems like it happened yesterday, you may be suffering from stuck grief. Seeking out a psychotherapist or an appropriate self-help group may be very helpful.

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Change Your Job

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If have been working at the same job for a long time, perhaps it is time for a change. It is difficult sometimes to know when you have outgrown your current position and you stay because it is familiar and secure. However, the lack of new challenges is deadly for your personal growth and creativity. It may be time to move on.

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Celebrate Your Positive Changes

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We tend to focus on the negative aspects of our being and the positive parts of us tend to be overlooked or ignored. Tune in to the positive changes you may have recently made such as: "I used to be so reactive and now I am able to stop and think before I blurt out something that will be hurtful." "I can now walk for three miles without getting exhausted."

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Give to Your Community

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Volunteering to help those less fortunate than you will not only be appreciated by many, it will also reward you spiritually and allow you to connect with others who are helping and receiving assistance. This activity will move you out of the intellectual realm and into your emotional world.

Decide to Break Your Addiction

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Whether you are addicted to substances, another person, video games or anything else, getting assistance and eventually breaking your addiction will eventually make you a happier, more productive person.

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Psychotherapist Bob Livingstone is the author of "The Body-Mind-Soul Solution: Healing Emotional Pain Through Exercise" (Pegasus Books, 2007). He specializes in helping victims of trauma. For more on his work with emotional healing, visit http://www.boblivingstone.com/

Kristen is "19"

Kristen & Vanessa
Best Friends & soon to be roommates

I know I am getting old, but time seems to be going so fast. Just three days after Lindsay's birthday we celebrated again. This time it was for Kristen, she turned 19 on the 23th. Where have the days gone?

Kristen is a beautiful young woman, who has the funniest laugh; she is responsible, kind and a great friend. She works hard and just finished her first year at UVU.

You'll have to ask her about her pencil dive. Love it!! Happy Birthday Kristen, sometimes without all the big fanfare and ready or not birthdays come.

Lindsay turns "4"

Lindsay, the princess of our home. Turned 4 on April 20th. She is 4 going on 16, no really. Since most of her "friends" are in High School she thinks she is as big as the rest of them. She is such a joy and blessing to our lives. Love you Lindsay - forever & ever.

Scouts & Soccer & Everything Boy!

After having so many girls, I am still getting into the groove of having boys. Scouts is a place still very new to me. Derek & Devin love it and thank goodness we have AMAZING Scout leaders in our Ward. Every week they are learning something new. They have been learning to whittle with “real” pocket knives. The boys spread apart in their “blood circle” far enough apart from each other so there is no blood.

Soccer has come to an end, another fun year for the boys. The team overall, let’s say, it was a learning year. But they enjoyed it and that is really what it is about anyway. (but winning is fun too). The boys are growing and it's happening all too fast. I am so proud of who they are becoming.

Devin & Derek getting their Bear rank

Devin

Cub Scout Space Derby

Derek

My Boys

UVU Ballroom Concert

(Kristen is the third one over in the back row)

Fly into Spring
UVU Ballroom Dance Company Spring Concert
April 15-18, 2009
Provo, UT

Kristen dances on the UVU Back Up Tour Team. She loves dancing and as I have said before, in this house we DANCE!! Kristen has been given her own pre teen team to coach, way to go Kristen.

Lessons on Love

Our Path More Difficult, Our Journey a Little Longer

We have come so far and but we are not there yet. This has not been easy but we know it has been necessary. This is a follow up (refer to the post Because Sometimes it's Hard....) When dealing with mental illness, in this case extreme anxiety and depression the mind perceives the world so large and scary, to find a place where words and emotions come together to understand what is being felt and why. There are more feelings than just happy, mad and sad and sometimes that is as far we get. This has been a learning experience for all of us, using words to express how and what we are feeling, accepting disappointment, dealing with change, and loving who we are for who we are.

What is normal and who is normal?? We base our opinions and judgments on what, who, and why do we do that? It has been a two steps forward and one step back processes. Also in the learning has been the time involved, at first we thought it would be 6 weeks, a doable number. We are now at 4 months and we will be looking at closer to 6 - 7 months. Wanting a quick fix than soon realizing these things take time, maybe a life time.

One day at a time, where am I at and how well am I doing. The If and Then principle, setting realistic goals, being honest with ourselves, I mean REALLY honest. It is not as easy as you think. To be so exposed it hurts, that is where we had to get to mend and move forward. We cannot always change the things around us but we can learn to change our view of it. I am so proud of my child; she at times has become the teacher. Could I do what she is doing, I don't know. It takes amazing strength to do what she is doing. I love you so much. We are with you on this journey as long as it takes and that might be a life time.