Day 27

Joy

Chasing joy

When we’re going about our daily lives it can easily feel as if we have no choice over our thoughts – they run away with us and we can change from feeling upbeat and hopeful to exhausted, sad or deflated. But we must remember that we always have a choice over our thoughts. It may not be easy, but we can banish those thoughts that do not serve us and instead choose positive ones.

Can you write down a list of recurring thoughts that do not serve you well – do you tell yourself that you are ugly or unloved or stupid? Write them down and see how they feel, imagine if you said those things about someone else – would you ever say or think that about a close friend? Then make a list of all of your good qualities – the things you are most proud of, are you a good mother, wife or friend? Can you cook well, or do you always know how to comfort someone? Are you great at your job? Do you create a beautiful home for your family? Take time to allow these to land, and return to them when another bad thought threatens your joy.