7 of 8

Write now Article Tools

How often do you enjoy what you're doing? Think about your typical day: your morning, your afternoon, your evening, time at work, time at home, while exercising, socializing and so on. What parts of your day do you enjoy the most? Which ones do you enjoy the least? What stops you from enjoying more of it? I'm sure some of you are saying, "I can't enjoy my time at work I'm working!" Yet there's no rule saying you can't take some pleasure in your work or while doing chores or while visiting relatives (well, okay maybe that's going a bit far).

So often we let the external circumstances dictate how we feel. If there's pressure and stress at work, we match it, or if someone around us is in a bad mood, we react to it. Either way we are letting other things and people affect how we feel internally which impacts how we view the external world, and this creates a downward spiral.

Enjoyment is simply being in a state of joy. It emanates from within affecting everything without. When you set your intention to feel good despite what's going on around you, you'll be less reactive and less likely to match the energy and mood of your environment. No one controls how you perceive situations, how you react or how you feel. Yet it is so easy to blame others and circumstances when we feel crummy (but yet credit ourselves when we feel good - funny how that works). And if you're waiting until such and such happens before you can enjoy your life (until the stress at work eases, until I get a new job, until I have enough money, and the list goes on), what are you really waiting for - until someone gives you permission? Why wait - start enjoying more of your life now!

Reflect on these questions to gain more insights:

* Ask yourself how you really want to feel. What gets in the way of that?

* Is there some aspect of yourself that is more comfortable being stressed or angry or in resistance than being joyful? If so, what's the payoff?

* What would you have to give up, to have more enjoyment in your life?

Try these inspiring ideas to have more enjoyment in your life:

* Practice taking more pleasure in life generally. Take time to enjoy doing something simple like soaking in the sounds and sights of nature, feeling the warmth of sunshine on your face, savoring every bite of food your eating, listening to your favorite music, giving yourself a relaxing hand or foot massage. Give these pleasures your full attention (i.e. without your thoughts interrupting) using all your senses.

* Expand your pleasure into all your daily activities. Find something you can enjoy with everything you are doing (you may need to be creative, like listening to a comedy tape while driving in traffic - try to come up with as many ideas as you can for how to bring pleasure into activities you usually don't enjoy).

* Spend five to ten minutes everyday sitting in silence with your eyes closed purposefully activating the feelings of joy within you. To get started reflect on fun or pleasant activities, or things you are grateful for in your life and then feel the energy of joy flowing throughout your body. Anchor this experience with a word or image that you can use later to re-activate these joyful feelings whenever you want.

Learn more about this author, Gini Grey.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to get more enjoyment out of life?
We want to hear your view. Write now!