In today’s world it is far too easy to get caught up with all of the negative things that are occurring around you, and to lose sight of what actually makes you feel loved, joyful and happy in life. It is no surprise that many people report feelings of sadness and emptiness, when the world is filled with negative stories that seem to surround us in society. At times, it can be crucial to silence negative experiences and stories in an effort to help one focus on fostering love, joy and feelings of happiness in their life.
One of the first things you can do to bring back or heighten positive feelings is to surround yourself with positive people who love and care for you. If you are surrounded by positive people who only want the best for you, they will help build you up when you feel down and also support you through the rough patches we all go through in life. It is important when someone is loving towards you that you reciprocate these same feelings back to them in order for the relationship to be balanced and in an effort to help the people who love you feel appreciated.
Another thing that one can do to bring back feelings of joy in their life, is to make things very simple again, and unplug yourself from electronics and the media and simply go outside. Sometimes we get so busy and caught up with our lives that we begin to operate on auto pilot and become unaware of our surroundings and the beauty that exists in nature. Once outside, you can go for a walk or find a nice relaxing place to go to help quiet your thoughts. Pay particular attention to all of the sights, sounds and smells that you experience once you leave the indoors and immerse yourself in the outdoors again.
Lastly, it is so important to remember the importance of gratitude. It is important for one to take a mental inventory of everything they do have in their life, rather than focusing on the things they don’t have or want. It is likely that if you have the ability to read this, you have shelter, warmth and food. Although these things can seem basic to people who already have them, it is crucial that one remember all of the things they have in life, because many people in the world are not so fortunate and go without their basic needs being met.
So to review, in order to foster love, joy and happiness in life, focus on surrounding yourself with people who love and support you, unplug from the mundane and go back to nature and never forget to take a mental inventory of all of the things that you do have and be grateful.
By: Amber Sanner, MS, LMFT
