Three Steps to a More Joy-filled Life

Desire, dedication & discipline in action!

We are the gatekeepers of everything we put in our bodies. We actually choose the food, the thoughts, the emotions, and everything else. It can feel like our thoughts are random and outside of ourselves and that we don’t have control over them. It sometimes feels as if our emotions are random and they do whatever they like. We can even feel as if our food choices are not our own.

It’s amazing to think that we have in many ways given up our say in our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. We think to ourselves and reinforce a small aspect of our experience and make that “who we are”. We say to ourselves, "I am overweight”, “I have allergies”,” I am depressed”, “I hate so and so”, “I could never do that”…; and once we label ourselves; we make that a truth about us that is set in stone and cannot be changed.

Thinking back I see how my thoughts have reinforced my worst fears about myself, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that kept me stuck. I have told myself that I am lazy, that I am not as good as others who are doing what I want to do. I have told myself that I can’t do what I want on my own and that I don’t have “what it takes”. The sad truth is that I believed it and by believing it I made it true.

But nothing about ourselves is intrinsically true, it’s all made up, which means we can change it at any time. Hallelujah! 

Changing our minds, our heart or our health is the key to getting what we want and living a more joy-filled life, but it is not easy. In fact it can seem almost impossible. It requires desire, dedication and discipline. But it can be done and those three efforts will help you get there.

Desire:

You can get what you want. You can get control of your mind. You can create the life you want, but first you have to know what you want. If you are not clear then you can drift or stay stuck. This is your life! You are the star, the director and the producer. Dream of what you want, add all the details and really feel what it would be like to have that experience. Desires are what keep us motivated and moving toward a goal. Write down what you want and look at it often; this will keep you on track. We must train our brain to think positively and our body to work methodically toward something.

Dedication:

Do not waver. If you truly desire something, you must stay focused. Life is a master of distractions and will turn your head and change your mind. To truly accomplish something, you must commit yourself no matter how long it takes. We are so used to instant gratification that waiting for anything seems too hard or not worthwhile. Setting your goal is your first step. From there you must hold fast and tight no matter how long it takes or how many times you stray from the path. It’s not how quickly you accomplish your desires but your determination that no matter how many times you fall off or how long it takes, you get back on the path and keep going.

Discipline:

Discipline is the magic that will turn your dreams into reality. Discipline is the engine and the unsung hero of life. Small, daily actions over time are what will get you the results you desire. There simply is no alternative. If you want to change your thinking or accomplish a goal, it’s the discipline to changing those tapes in your mind and taking the steps over time that will get you there. We all want a quick fix or a magic spell to transform our situation, but those simply don’t exist. The magic is in the tiny incremental steps you take over time that will get you where you want to go. 

I believe in you! Keep feeding yourself good thoughts, good feelings and good food. Don’t lose heart and remember to celebrate the tiny successes along the way. This is your life; enjoy the JOY-ney!