The first principle of mental fitness is to value yourself. This does not depend upon your achievements, but rather to extend to yourself “unconditional positive regard.” You’re not being asked to be perfect or never to have done anything wrong. You simply allow yourself to feel good about yourself.
What robs you of your joy?
- You may fall into a trap of serving other people’s needs at the expense of your own.
- You waste time on problems or issues that cannot be solved.
- You get into “moods” in which you focus on what you do NOT have or how difficult changing your life would be.
- You worry about “what if’s.”
- You allow other people to affect you negatively in part because you may seek their approval.
So how do you bring more joy into your life?
Joyful people report that they use strategies that enable them to navigate life with a positive attitude. Through experience, they have come to the realization that opportunities as well as emotions cycle through ups and downs. During hard times this awareness gives them the faith that “this too shall pass.” Because they recognize the preciousness of the good times, rarely do they lament about the past. Instead, they focus on moving through life with a sense of wonder and joy.