The Book of Joy

(Rick Simeone) #1
do. The point   is  simply  to  note    the major   features    of  your    day
and to consider whether your day was in alignment with the
intention you set in the morning.
2 . Pay attention to your emotions and accept your experience.
Reflect on the emotions that came up during the day. If
negative thoughts or feelings arise, just be present with them.
Do not try to push away the negative or grasp after the positive.
Just acknowledge what happened. If you are disappointed with
some aspect of how you acted, put your hand on your heart and
say, “I accept myself as I am, flawed and human like everyone
else.” Notice where you have fallen short of your intention,
because that is part of what will allow you to grow and learn. If
something painful happened in your day, you can gently
acknowledge it by saying, “That was painful. I am not alone.
We all suffer at times.”
3 . Feel gratitude. The most important quality to have toward
your day is gratitude for what you have experienced, even for
what was hard and what allowed you to learn and grow. If you
are keeping a journal of what you are grateful for, you may
wish to write these down now.
4 . Rejoice in your day. Pick something you did during the day
that you feel good about—helping someone, keeping your cool
during a conflict. If you can’t think of anything, you can
rejoice in the fact that you are doing this practice. Now
dedicate the merit of your day and let it be a blessing to all.
5 . Look to tomorrow. You can finish by turning your attention to
the next day and setting your intention for how you wish to
face the challenges that may come. Trust that you will be able
to handle whatever the next day may hold and release your
concerns for the night as you go to sleep.

RELATIONSHIP AND COMMUNITY—THE GREATEST

JOY
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