Joy is our elated response to feelings of happiness, well-being, satisfaction, abundance and gratitude. Unfortunately, many of us think joy is something we can only experience when things are going right in our lives. But, we can invite joy into our lives even when things aren’t going well.

Our ability to find joy when life is difficult or when we are doing the things we don’t like to do is a true measure of strength within yourself.  Here are five ways to increase the joy in your life.

1. Joy is a mindset. Success in every part of you life depends on your mindset.  A positive mindset lays the ground for health, success and achievement, while a negative mindset makes for an unhappy environment and ultimately failure.  Allow yourself to see the joy in each situation and avoid looking at the negative. 
2. Find passion. Find things that you love and practice them with passion. You will be able to work, live and breathe with joy. This joy will attract success and create more value in the world. Find what it is that makes you passionate in life and commit to it. Passion is the most fundamental part of joy and will motivate you to live, love, eat, work, exercise and play with joy.
3. Inspire yourself with new challenges that allow you to grow to new levels mentally, physically and spiritually. Stepping out of your everyday routine and comfort zone will give you the inspiration you need to create change and spread your wings. Study a new subject, train for a new race, switch careers. Evaluate your goals and inspire yourself to be the best you can be.
4. Challenge yourself to find joy in the everyday things. Cleaning the house, cooking meals, eating clean food, exercising can all be joyous if you let it be. Experiment with your power to find joy in the mundane activities of the world.
5. Bring joy to the world. A truly joyous person looks outside one's self to see how to make their loved ones, the community and the world a more joyful place. Expand yourself and make joy contagious.

 “We can make ourselves happy or we can make ourselves miserable. The amount of work is the same.”
— Carlos Castaneda

Exodus has created programs this summer that will inspire you to find joy in your fitness and wellness.  Check out our Surfing Fitness Program, our Paddleboarding Class or train for an Adventure Race for a new challenge. Check out our website for more details.

Amy Godfrey is owner of Exodus Integrated Wellness, a fitness and wellness business designed to improve the lives of clients through education and prevention in an integrated, holistic environment.