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***How to Keep a Joy Jou al

Topic: Positive PsychologyBy Janet Gallagher Nestor, MA, LPC, DCEPPublished Recently added

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A jou
al is a way to keep a record of something that is important to us. This jou
al safely keeps our thoughts about the creation of Joy. I kept one for a long time, and now I think it would be fun if you kept one too. There is no better way in the world to have a visual of our daily blessings and all the little miracles that happen.

Joy Jou
al Our Joy Jou
al keeps a record of the small joys of life just as surely as it records the major joys and accomplishments. In fact, I'm more interested in the small joys because they are the ones that we don't mentally “record”. We notice them, but for some reason we seldom remember them beyond the second they happened.

How Do I Keep a Joy Jou
al?
Keeping a joy jou
al is very easy and fun. We begin to focus on all of the positive happenings in our life. We keep our joy jou
al just like we would keep any other jou
al, only this one requires only a minute or two of our time once or twice each day. We simply jot down a few words about something positive that happened. I love to keep my joy jou
al in my purse. But you can keep it by your bed, in your pocket, in your desk drawer or on the counter top in the kitchen. All we have to do is write down the joys of our life a few words at a time. No long stories. Just a sentence or two when something good happens.

Joys come in all sizes and shapes. Here is a list of things that you might not consider writing down, but these are the kinds of things I want you to begin to notice. Remember it is the little things that can add up to something really mind blowing.

A a huge bright blue butterfly landed on my window sill.
A stranger actually stopped and helped me get my car out of the ditch.
I loved the way that mother looked at her little twins.
The woodpecker came to the bird feeder again this morning. Yipee.
My neighbor brought me a warm loaf of bread this morning.
My husband (wife, friend, companion) called me from work just to say hello.
My daughter passed the history test she was sure she failed.
I helped my 5 year old son ride a two wheel bike to day.
The lawn looked so green after the rain … it looked like a post card.

Every joy is important. Each time we smile it is important. Each time we have a small success, it is life changing. Each time we laugh, we strengthen our immune system. Most of us have no idea how many positive things happen to us in any given day. We take them for granted.

Each time you read your joy jou
al, it will make you happy all over again! After a few weeks pass, and you flip through the pages, you will be AMAZED at all the wonderful entries.

Have fun!

Article author

About the Author

Janet Nestor is a Self-Empowerment Guide, Diplomat in Energy Psychology, and Mental Health Therapist who practices holistically. You can find her Facebook Pathways to Wholeness Mindfulness Discussion page at www.facebook.com/pathwaystowholeness To purchase her book Pathways to Wholeness click http://amzn.to/c9cyP6. Her bi-monthly articles appear in Sibyl on line ezine for women. Introduce yourself to Sibyl ezine by clicking http://sibylmagazine.com/ Her blog, www.mindfulpathways.com is a great place to get to know her, find information about her classes and download your free mindfulness meditations. To learn about the September food Issues class co-lead by Life Coach Sheri Kaye Hoff click http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4421195 Please join Janet's Twitter family at http://twitter.com/#!/JanetNestor and when you do write her a note to say hello! Her tweets are identified by #mindfulpathways.

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