Practice, Practice, Practice

Everyone loves the days when it seems as if everything goes according to plan. You know, the days when you wake up refreshed just before your alarm clock, the sun is shining and the temperature is just right, your drive to work is traffic free, and every light turns green just as you approach it, but then there are the other days. Those days that get started all wrong from the alarm clock being reset because the storm the night before knocked the power out, your hair just refuses to cooperate, and you get a flat on the way to work. Then, there are the days in between those extremes. Those are the days that are often overlooked because they are without one extreme or the other. The challenge is to first recognize the joy in every day no matter what. Every day you face obstacles, challenges, and disappointments to some degree, decide that no matter what happens you will find joy and acknowledge it, appreciate it, and share it.
It is a rare occasion that you go through a week with no let-downs at all. The fact that you can be affected by the decisions, actions, or choices of others is a large component in your analysis of each situation; your attitude, your hurt, your pain, your sadness, your disappointment, happiness, or gratitude is the result. It is in your nature to have expectations. No matter how many books, quotes, or ecards you read telling you not to set them; they will be there even if they only exist subconsciously. So what do you do when life hands you lemons? First and foremost, we must accept and acknowledge that every experience is meant  to teach you something. Whether it is to tame your tongue, be open, or be kind, for instance, each experience you have and person you encounter is shedding some light on your energy, testing your character, resilience, or integrity. Your respond to the situation or person determines what you know and what you have yet to learn.
Stay in a place of peace and tranquility and surround yourself with people that share that energy. While you are learning your lessons in becoming the best version of yourself; the best way to get there will require what you have always known, practice. There are three practices that increase the joy in this life experience. Practice gratitude, love, and forgiveness. These practices grow joy and neutralize everything else; anything that is not positively impacting your life should be left at arms length. The more you practice these three expressions, the more they will show up in your life.