Series Continued: 21 Habits of Joyful People - Part 4

With two more installments and a recap of the previous points at the end, we bring it on home...

12. Invest in Relationships 

Always make sure your loved ones know you love them even in times of conflict. Nurture and grow your relationships with your family and friends by making the time to spend with them. Be supportive. Listen more than you talk. Don't break your promises to them. If you promise to take Mama to see "The Butler" first showing on Friday, then by golly...you get the point. 

13. Meditate

Meditation gives your very active brain a chance to rest. When it’s rested you will have more energy and function at a higher level. Types of meditation include yoga, hypnosis, relaxation tapes, affirmations, visualization or just sitting in complete silence. Find something you enjoy and make the time to practice daily.

I just started learning about meditation and am currently a part of a 21 Perfect Health Meditation journey with Oprah and Deepak Chopra. It’s new, exciting and very relaxing, too.

14. Mind Their Own Business

Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t you dare get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Don’t judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you. 

I have always been a firm believer that, “if everyone is completely handling up on their own business, that is.. being all that 'they' can be – then chances are they really don’t have time to be worrying about what you, (or anyone else's) your business and what you are doing with it.” Live and let live.

15. Optimism

I have a tendency to see the glass as half full. Find the positive side of any given situation. It’s there – even if you have to flip it a few times or hold you head sideways. Know that everything happens for a reason, albeit sometimes elusive.  Make a conscious effort to steer clear of negative thoughts and people with too much negative energy and conversation. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought. Quickly!

I am reminded of this precious little poem by Katherine Merrill to illustrate this point.

"My heart is a garden where thought flowers grow.

The thoughts that I think are the seeds that I sow.

For every loving kind thought, there is a loving kind deed.

While a thought that is selfish is just like a weed.

We must watch what we think each minute of every day;

And pull out the weed thoughts and throw them all away.

Plant loving seed thoughts so thick in a row,

That there will not be room for weed thoughts to grow."

16. Love Unconditionally

Accept others for who they are. You don’t put limitations on your love. Even though you may not always like the actions of your loved ones – you continue to love them. Everybody needs somebody’s unconditional love. Are you willing to give that very thing?

(Recap)

Joyful People:

  1 Appreciate Life

  2 Choose Friends Wisely

  3 Are Considerate

  4 Learn Continuously

  5 Use Creative Problem Solving

  6 Do What They Love

  7 Enjoy Life

  8 Keep Their Word

  9 Forgive

10 Laugh

11 Are Grateful

Note:  Many thanks to Dr. Michelle McCollum (Congrats on your marriage!) for her portion of content in this series. Photo credits: Google Images and Personal Collection

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