Finding Joy in Those Little Moments

Welcome back, 

So this week I've had some ups and downs. The euphoria that I felt last week even though I was hoping it would last didn't so I've struggled to get the same feeling back.

It made me think what it must be like to be addicted to something like drugs or alcohol or pornography. You get that rush of dopamine into the brain and it feels so great you never want it to end. then when it does you want to get that same exact feeling back. So you try and try then you may get a sense of the same feeling, but it may never be the same. It could be as good but neve
Will I hope this addiction will last, because I want to find all sorts of ways to find that Joy and Happiness in my life. Which brings me to my subject this week. Finding Joy in those little moments.

So as I told you last week I've been listening to Ted Talks to help find joy to put in my life and I heard another great one given by Nataly Kogan entitled Sharer of Joy. I'll put the link below.

She spoke of how life is full of moments, but mainly how life is full of happy moments, and that Happiness and Joy are contagious. Now that's something we all should want to catch.

She points out in her talk that focusing on small positive every day moments has been scientifically proven to fundamentally change how positive we feel.

So how do we do that? We start by telling ourselves, I'm happier now because... What has brought that joy into your life? Has someone compliment you? Have you just seen something funny on Facebook? Did you just hear your baby laugh for the first time? Or did you have a bite of the best chocolate cake around? You're happier now because...?

So now that we know what makes us happier what do we do? Well just the fact that we recognize those simple things that makes us happy can touch the dopamine in the brain, but what Nataly Kogan, has done is taken it a step further and has an actual app where you can share your happy moments, happier.com.

For me I'm taking a simpler step. I'm calling it my Joy Jar.

My sister had this great idea, New Years Eve she gave myself and my sister and Mom these cute little jars that she made to write down a positive thing that has happened each week or day or month though out the year then next New Years Eve we pull them out and read them to see all the positive things that have happened. It took me a couple of weeks to get started but I'm on my way.


So to finish off, Nataly also points out that friends or neighbors who live with in a mile of you who are positive and happy give you a 25% chance of being positive and happy yourself. Wouldn't it be great to be the person that is the positive neighbor making everyone more positive.

She ends her talk with this quote.

Life is made up of moments, choose to create and collect the Happy ones.

I hope we will all do that. If you want to hear her talk yourself which I recommend you do here is the link. Sharer of Joy