Who doesn’t want to be happy? Happiness is probably one of the most sought after goals, feelings and overall pursuits within all of humanity. “The pursuit of happiness” has become a phrase that you likely already have heard of because it’s been popularized in a dozen media pieces over the last 50 years.
But what is happiness and what are its tenants? If happiness is a feeling, like a vibration or state of mind then it can shift and change, right? Surely there are ways of changing our vibration and “increasing our frequencies” as it’s said.
We can in fact and time constantly topping the lists when it comes to creating happiness in your life are the two tenants of Love and Joy.
What is Love?
Let’s go into a general definition first to put us on the same page. Love is a complex and multifaceted emotion that can have many different meanings depending on the context and the relationship. In general, love can be defined as a strong feeling of affection and attachment towards someone.
Love can take many forms, such as romantic love, platonic love, self-love, and love for one’s family or community. Romantic love is the type of love often associated with desire, passion, and intimacy between two people. Platonic love refers to love and affection between friends, without any romantic or sexual attraction. Self-love refers to the love and appreciation for oneself, and love for one’s family or community refers to the love and connection to one’s loved ones and the group they are associated with.
Love can also be characterized by a willingness to sacrifice for the well-being of the person loved, and by feelings of warmth, tenderness, and compassion. Love can also change and evolve over time and can be influenced by many factors, such as culture, personality, and experiences.
Ok, so now we have a general idea of love. What about joy?
What is Joy?
Let’s do the same for Joy and narrow into a definition we can work with together. Joy is a positive emotion characterized by feelings of happiness, contentment, and satisfaction. It is often associated with positive experiences and can be described as a sense of well-being or inner peace. Joy can be experienced in response to a variety of stimuli, such as a special accomplishment, a positive event, or the company of loved ones.
Joy can also be a deep and sustained emotion, a way of being in the world, and a sense of connection to something larger than oneself. It can be a sense of fulfillment, a sense of purpose and meaning, and a sense of hope.
Joy can be experienced both in the moment and over time, and it can be cultivated through various means such as mindfulness, gratitude, and connection with others, and it can be a source of inner strength and resilience.
It’s worth noting that joy is different from pleasure, which is a more temporary and superficial form of happiness. Joy is a deeper and more meaningful emotion that can be experienced even in difficult times.
Now that we have both love and joy let’s get back on topic. How do we create happiness in our lives, or another way of asking this is how do we create and cultivate love and joy in our life? Well, it’s not as simple as checking a box but there are tools and at least “facets” of that cultivation you can integrate into your life.
10 Tips for Cultivating Love and Joy In Your Life
Creating love and joy in our lives can be achieved by taking certain actions and making certain choices. Here are some ways to cultivate love and joy in your life:
- Practice self-love: Learn to love and accept yourself for who you are, and focus on your own well-being. This will make it easier for you to love and accept others.
- Surround yourself with positive people: Spend time with people who uplift you, inspire you, and make you feel good about yourself.
- Show gratitude: Expressing gratitude for the good things in your life can help to shift your focus from what’s missing to what’s present.
- Engage in activities that bring you joy: Whether it’s reading, dancing, playing an instrument, or spending time in nature, find activities that bring you joy and make time for them regularly.
- Show kindness: Showing kindness to others can help to create a sense of connection and positivity.
- Help others: Helping others can make you feel good and improve your mood.
- Forgive: Let go of grudges and forgive those who have hurt you. Holding onto anger and resentment only harms you and this simple act alone can help you transform the relationship.
- Meditate: Meditation can help to reduce stress, increase mindfulness, and improve overall well-being.
- Practice mindfulness: Being present in the moment and focusing on your thoughts and feelings can help you to be more aware of your emotions and better able to navigate them.
- Seek professional help: It might be helpful to seek professional help if you have underlying issues that
Let’s dive a little deeper into at least a couple of these.
What is Self-Love and what are some examples?
Self-love refers to the love and appreciation for oneself. It involves valuing and caring for oneself, and treating oneself with kindness and compassion. Here are a few examples of self-love practices:
- Setting and achieving personal goals: Setting goals and working towards them can help boost self-esteem and self-worth.
- Self-care: Engaging in self-care practices such as exercise, healthy eating, getting enough sleep, and taking time for relaxation can help improve physical and emotional well-being.
- Positive self-talk: Practicing positive self-talk, such as talking to oneself in a kind and compassionate way, can help improve self-esteem and self-worth.
- Forgiveness: Forgiving oneself for past mistakes, and letting go of guilt and shame can help improve self-esteem and self-worth.
- Boundaries: Learning to set healthy boundaries and saying “no” to things that are not in alignment with one’s values and goals can help improve self-esteem and self-worth.
- Surrounding oneself with positive people: Surrounding oneself with people who are supportive, encouraging and positive can help improve self-esteem and self-worth.
- Accepting and embracing one’s imperfections: Accepting and embracing one’s imperfections, rather than constantly striving for perfection, can help improve self-esteem and self-worth.
- Practicing gratitude: Practicing gratitude, by focusing on the things in life that one is thankful for, can help to improve overall well-being and self-worth.
These are some examples, but self-love is a process and a journey, and what works for one person may not work for another. It’s important to find what works best for you, and to be patient and kind to oneself during the process.
Our guide to the Highest Vibrational Human Emotions explores the positive emotions that can elevate our consciousness and improve our well-being.
Why is surrounding yourself with positive people so important?
Surrounding oneself with positive people can be important for several reasons:
- Social support: Positive people can provide emotional and practical support during difficult times, which can help to improve overall well-being and reduce stress.
- Positive influence: Positive people can serve as role models and can influence one’s attitudes and behaviors in a positive way.
- Encouragement and motivation: Positive people can encourage and motivate one to pursue their goals and to strive for self-improvement.
- Improved self-esteem: Being around positive people can help to improve self-esteem and self-worth by providing validation and acceptance.
- Increased happiness: Being around positive people can increase happiness and positive emotions.
- Sense of belonging: Being around positive people can provide a sense of belonging and a feeling of connectedness to others.
- More opportunities: Positive people tend to have a more positive outlook on life and can bring more opportunities in different areas, such as work, personal development, and fun activities.
In summary, you CAN create happiness in your life. You CAN shift your mentality, attitude and cultivate Love and Joy. It takes effort, planning and thoughtfulness but it’s all possible. You go this!
