Grandmothers sang an old song: “I’ve got that joy, joy, joy, joy! Down in my heart…” (Written by George Willis Cooke (1848–1923), born in Comstock, Michigan, USA). Grandma’s singing radiated throughout traditional households; she was trying to tell us that she derived “joy” from her spiritual heart connection. More importantly, no one could take “joy” away from her because it was down in her heart to stay.
The outward evidence was a spirit imbued with kindness, generosity, gentleness, peacefulness, and happiness. We agree that “joy” is a spiritual attribute because of its persuasive power, but “joy” needs nurturing to remain uppermost in our mind. We share these twenty practices to cultivate “joy” in our lives to maintain a spiritual presence.
TWENTY PRACTICES TO CULTIVATE JOY IN OUR LIVES TO MAINTAIN A SPIRITUAL PRESENCE
- Believe in a higher purpose of existence.
- Visit and entertain family and friends.
- Visit residents in a nursing home.
- Work from home (if it is feasible).
- Live within your financial means.
- Be thankful for everything.
- Read inspirational books.
- Take spontaneous vacations.
- Cultivate a vegetable garden.
- Admire the growth of plants.
- Listen to inspirational music.
- Support family and friends.
- Maintain a positive attitude.
- Avoid conflicts in your life.
- Hang portraits together.
- Write poetry together.
- Wear relaxing clothes.
- Cook meals together.
- Visit the ocean.
- Daydream.
These twenty activities are practical. When you practice them daily, they help to maintain a spiritual and physical connection with the universe and elevate mindfulness. They parallel the “joy” that we experienced as children, filled with the simpler things in life, despite the busyness of the postmodern family.
¹Extracted from: “Discovering Your Optimum ‘Happiness Index’ (OHI)” —A Self-Directed Guide to Your “Happiness Index” (HI) (Including Questionnaire and Self-Improvement [SI] Templates). © 2016 Errol A. and Marjorie G. Gibbs. All rights reserved.
Email: info@gibbshappinessindex.com
Website: www.gibbshappinessinessindex.com