Ten suggestions for find joy

We are surrounded by so many issues that take away from our joy it is difficult to remember there are simple tools for assisting us to find comfort and solace in this world. Below are ten suggestions as a start:

KEYS TO FEELING ALIVE

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes the limits of age, weight and height. Let doctors worry about them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. Negative energy will most often pull you down.

3. Keep learning and stay inspired. Learn about the fine arts, geography, gardening, yoga - where ever your curiosity takes you. Never let the brain idle, keep challenging your brain. An idle mind is the devil's workshop.

4. Practice beginners mind. Enjoy the everyday activities as if they were experienced for the first time.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath…our lives can be so entertaining!

6. The tears will come. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us for our entire lives, is ourselves. Love all your emotions deeply.

7. Surround yourself with what you love; whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies. Your home should be your refuge and sanctuary.

8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you believe you can improve, seek the help of a skilled professional.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the park, to the next city, even to a foreign country; but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people whom you love just how much you love them… at each and every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.