Do this one thing to up your joy: realize that mornings hold great opportunity to set the tone for your entire day. The moment we open our eyes to a new day we have a chance to think differently. And in doing so our lives can shift in new and magical ways.

While we were sleeping our brains relaxed. We had a full system reset. Our bodies regenerated themselves and we are now renewed, recharged, and rejuvenated. Our normal thought patterns have quieted.

Have you ever notices your first thoughts when you wake in the morning? 

Do you look upon the day with dread or excitement?

Our waking moments are our most powerful moments.

These first waking moments are the linchpin to shifting your life in the way you desire. Most often our habitual thought patterns begin all over again the moment we wake. But if we want to make changes and feel good, it’s easiest to shift our thoughts at the beginning of the day before our habitual thought patterns take over.

Studies show that thoughts are habitual

• The average person thinks 60,000 thoughts per day.

• 80% of those thoughts are negative.

• 95% of those thoughts are repeats from the day before. 

Isn’t that an incredible takeaway? This is a perfect illustration of how trapped we get in our own thinking. If we allow the mind to continually reset to its default patterns, we stay stuck.

When you understand how the mind works you can make changes.

Here’s the good news: when we understand the way the mind works we can make changes. We are aware of the mind’s tendencies. Awareness is always the first step in making any kind of change. When we are aware that something is happening we can begin to choose differently. 

Our mental habits keep us stuck.

Whether you realize it or not, we all have a secret list inside of our heads. It isn’t our ever-present to-do list, but an ongoing tally we keep in our heads.

Typically this is a list of things like:

• Why feel bad about ourselves

• Why we feel bad about our lives

• Things or people we don’t like

• Painful memories from the past

• Fears of the future

When we focus on these things, we bring ourselves down. If you choose instead to begin the day with active appreciation, you create an entirely different mental and energetic state.

Think about it. Which thoughts feel better to think about– the list of reasons life sucks, or the list of things you must appreciate about your life? 

Which list will guide you to a day you enjoy rather than a day you dread? 

Shining a light on your mental habits with awareness

Instead of wandering through life on auto pilot we begin to notice what is going on inside our minds. It’s like shining a spotlight on our thoughts. When we look at them in full HD color, we realize they aren’t the ones we truly want and start focusing on the ones we do.

In essence, our thoughts have the ability to take us straight to heaven or straight to … you know, the other place.

How to change your thought patterns

Your first waking moments are the easiest time to begin the day differently. The easiest and simplest way to do so is to start with active appreciation.

Active appreciation means that we consciously look for: 

•  Things to appreciate

• Reasons to be happy

• Ways we are blessed. 

How to practice active appreciation

Start simply, with things in your immediate environment. Things like:

• Your favorite, comfy pajamas or your comfortable bed. 

• Perhaps the light filtering through your window is particularly beautiful this morning

• The  symphony of birds singing outside your window. 

It doesn’t matter what you choose to focus on, as long as you choose things that bring you joy. Make this a morning journaling practice for even more powerful results. 

At first glance this may seem too simple, or too easy. Or it might feel too hard because of what’s going on in your life right now. Maybe you feel grumpy about the idea of doing this because it feel like those thank-you notes your parents forced to to write when you were a kid. 

And yet… don’t you want to feel better? 

When we embrace our waking moments and use them to begin curating a list of joy, we tune into that mindset, dial in that frequency. When you begin your day by consciously choosing thoughts that make you feel good, you’re setting the tone for a more joyful day.

Practice active appreciation throughout your day

When you  continue to practice the active appreciation throughout your day you will have a different day. When you look for things to appreciate you will find them. Your life will blossom and so will your joy.

Ready for the Next Step?

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