The road to a joyful existence hasn’t always been an easy, smooth one.

I only got to this place after spending nearly a decade without focusing on what emotions I was choosing. When you don’t mind your emotions, they will RUN your life.

My default method of operating included ignoring my emotions and focusing on the “work” in front of me.

Yeah, that wasn’t a lot of fun. Stuff got “done” but I wasn’t nearly as satisfied as I expected to be.

So, instead of checking in on my emotions, I set my goals higher. Maybe, just maybe, if the accomplishment was big enough, I’d feel satisfaction when I got it.

Then one of my biggest accomplishments – finishing my degree – happened. And I only felt slight satisfaction, not the deep, exhilarating feeling I anticipated.

Fortunately, I came across a lot of conscious creation guides. When I found out that tapping into and improving our feelings was key to satisfaction, I didn’t believe it.

Then I tried it.

It worked.

So now, I choose joy, almost every day. I create feelings of joy by asking, “What would bring me joy right now?” I have a mental list of things that bring me joy. And whenever I need to, I tap into one of those things.

That could mean making a cup of rooibos tea. Or taking a nap. Or eating a piece of chocolate. Or walking around the block. Or calling a friend.

For me, joy comes from a series of small, delightful actions that give me moments of satisfaction. When you put a lot of moments together, you eventually get a body of experience.

In my case, I’ve been building a strong body of experiences, all attesting to the fact that I’m actively creating a joyful existence.

On the days that I don’t choose joy? Well, those days just ARE what they ARE. I don’t judge myself for them. I honor my feelings and allow it to be whatever it will be.

This life can be a good one, if we take time to mold our lives to what we want them to be.

(photo courtesy of Pinterest).