"Life is the dancer and we are the dance," says Echardt Tolle. When we are in a state of joy it is as if we are dancing with life. We feel fully alive, peaceful and whole. Sometimes people are afraid to show their joy because they think that they may appear silly or naïve. When you expeience how good it feels to embrace joy, you will worry less about what others think. You will see how contagious joy is. When you live it everyday . . . you will benefit not only yourself but everyone you come in contact with.

How to Choose Joy

Look for the good in everyone and everything.
Have a constant awareness of all you have to be grateful for.
Love and accept yourself exactly the way you are.
Be a love-finder not a fault finder.
Stop self-defeating thoughts.
Think self-empowering thoughts.
Pat yourself on the back.
Take exquisite care of yourself.
Love with your whole heart.
Laugh with abandon.
Play with abandon.
Give lots of hugs.
Do random acts of kindness
Live simply!
Live generously.
Make someone smile.
Dress colorfully.
Skip.
Hug a tree.
Smile at Strangers.
Pet dogs on the street (better ask first).
Feed the birds.
Write yourself a love letter.
Write your significant other a love letter.
Write each of your children a love letter.
Pay an unexpected compliment.
Make everyday a masterpiece.

Brenda Strausz May, 2008