March 29, 2025

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Hi everyone! This enews is about JOY. Keeping joy in your life, adding joy to your life, and spreading more joy in the world. I feel like we could all use more joy right about now. So, I will share ways I know about to help you uncover more joy and happiness in your life, if you are having a hard time.
Joy is closely related to my favorite subject, gratitude. When we appreciate our lives, and all of the blessings we have, naturally we feel good and joy springs up into our hearts. We can smile and laugh so much easier. I feel fortunate to be an optimistic person by nature, and that helps me all the time with my joy levels. Even if you’re pessimistic by nature or sad, there are still things you can do to make yourself feel better. Check out the Joy Practices below.
Sometimes something annoying happens in my life, and I let it get to me. (A few examples: a grumpy person I talk to; bots who are so hard to communicate with; an unexpected bill) I can return to more joy and happiness by listening to music I love, stopping to meditate; enjoying beautiful artwork; going into nature; and/or talking to an upbeat friend who will listen and not try to fix anything. Recounting my favorite reasons for gratitude always brings my spirits up again too.

​JOY PRACTICES:

Keep a gratitude journal:
Regularly reflect on the things you are grateful for. https://www.graceofgratitude.com/store/c2/
Retail_%26_eBooks.html

​Share your gratitude:
Express your appreciation to others.

Use affirmations:
These are from a book by Sanaya Roman titled
Living in Joy. You can also create your own.

I choose to live joyfully.

The joy of my innermost being
shines through me.

I am free to be around joyful people, and I am!

Remember to play!
Dance and move your bod! Play with kids or your
dog or kitty, they are always up for it. Sing in the
shower! Sing in a choir! Laugh for no reason!

Listen to your favorite music.
Here is a song by Karen Drucker on Joy
you may enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5i_CT-
Dc2kM&list=PL8qLMZTl40ueRy58yjlwO-
QL7DoN7AKvtH&index=11

Listen to positive meditations:
Here is an all-time favorite by Gabby Bernstein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-
gjpZuGvNuA

Happy April to my Gratitude Tribe.
Remember, joy is an inside job. Let’s
create it for ourselves and shine it out to
the world. Keep the faith!
Love and Light, Deborah, Gratitude Gal

“The root of joy is gratefulness... It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” David Steindl-Rast

Blissed and Blessed
​​
I just can’t be in a bad mood when feeling grateful. It’s impossible, really. I’ve had someone challenge me in a Gratitude Workshop I facilitated when I stated that one can’t be unhappy or mad when thankful. She disagreed emphatically. In retrospect, I wish I had handed her my Grace of Gratitude Journal for her to write in regularly, and then checked in with her later. :)
 
For me, gratitude transforms my life in amazing, beneficial ways! I started this practice in 2012 and have been going strong ever since.
 
I am grateful for my happy, joyful heart! And for sharing the superpower of gratitude with others.
May it transform your life as it has mine.
 
Thank you, Universe, for providing infinite opportunities to appreciate!
 
Deborah Perdue, 6/26/24
 
Note: I will be offering a 2 hour zoom workshop on Jumpstarting Your Joy. It wil be on a Saturday in late April or early May. Let me know if you are interested. Would love to have you join us.