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10 Tips For Living A Joyful Life

July 14, 2019 in Grace

There is no denying just how much negativity there is in the world right now. Over the last several months I have written about different ways in which you can increase your happiness and just simple ways to live a fuller life.

As I continue to celebrate my “Jesus” year, I have taken the extra steps of purging anything and one from my life who does serve a greater good. On top of that, I have also chosen not to even acknowledge things that don’t (meaning once I rid of them, I put it out of my mind for good). The more that I have begun to let go of, the better I have felt. It hasn’t been easy by a long shot.

Joy is you at the deepest level, and your joy is one with the infinite timeless joy of this unbound universe.-Robert Ellwood

There are friends that I decided to let go, my church home was also on the chopping block. I have taken a long hard look at what will bring me joy in this season of my life. With everything that has come to pass two things have stood out to me as being most important; being intentional and being present.

By being intentional, this means that everything I do has to serve a purpose. Just as I want to keep only things and people in my life who serve a greater good, I want to ensure that I everything I am doing serves a greater good as well.

Enjoying Life

One thing I can say that I have never done is taken the time to stop and smell the roses. Our family “daycation” trip, is the first thing we have done “cation” wise in years. It’s been all work and no play for the longest for our family. I want to make sure that as I get older and my children, that we all have memories that we can laugh and look back on for years to come.

Being content in my own skin

I have spent entirely too much of my time comparing myself to others, and wishing that I was at a station in life equal to that of my peers. This does nothing but send me into a spiraling depression. I don’t compare myself to anyone anymore, and that in itself has been a major blessing and source of joy in my life.

Living up to the expectations of others

You can’t have and do it all. You just can’t. The sooner I realized that the happier I was. I have had to learn to live my life for me and no one else. So I don’t have the biggest house or the newest car, that is okay. I am comfortable living within my means, with what I have. The key is not letting anyone shame you for thinking that you have to live a certain way in order to fit their ideals of success.

Here are 10 ways you can live a joyful life.

1. Always try to stay positive,  this may not be easy, however, by staying positive with everything that goes on in your life you will start to see it radiate to those around you. Positivity is infectious. If you carry a positive attitude around your home, your spouse and children will as well.

2. Make as many memories as possible. You want to have as many memories as possible, especially while not only are your children still young, but you are as well.

3. Read, it is one of the best ways to not only help unwind but to further knowledge on a particular subject.

4. Clean your home, a clean home means a clear mind.

5. Set your intentions early in the day. Do you have a purpose for the day lined up? If not make not just one but three. Whether it is to call and check on a sick friend or relative or meeting up with someone for lunch.

6. Listen to your inner voice. Do this often, your inner voice is usually right about things. So don’t be afraid to listen.

7. Unplug and unplug often. Technology has become so addictive that we often don’t take time away from it anymore. Spend time outside with loved ones or just yourself.

8. Appreciate the small things. Sometimes we get so caught up in the big picture that we don’t take the time to appreciate the little things that happen. Make it a point to be grateful for all of the little things going on.

9. Take creativity liberty with spaces in your home. Beds make great trampolines, kitchens great dance floors, and living rooms awesome places for camp outs.

10. Celebrate everything. Dress up, drink wine (or sparkling water), even if you have no place to go.

Natasha Brown

Love of impromptu dance parties, 80’s cartoons, and horizontal life pauses (aka naps); Natasha Brown is a stay at home mom of 4 kids, and wife to one lucky guy! In her spare time, she is co-editor of Grits & Grace, as well as editor for The Mother Hustler Blog and Creative Director for the Mother Hustler podcast.

www.themotherhustlerblog.com

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Comments

  1. Sirri says

    March 12, 2017 at 4:03 am

    Love this!

  2. myhappierplaceblog says

    March 12, 2017 at 5:02 pm

    I’d also add don’t compare yourself to others and live in the moment.

  3. Natasha Brown says

    March 12, 2017 at 5:13 pm

    Very true!! I think living in the moment is something that we often forget. Sometimes I can be too frustrated to enjoy myself or I’m trying to get photos of everything.

  4. Andrea R Warren (@WaldorfFries) says

    March 12, 2017 at 10:56 pm

    This was a game changer for me( Being content in my own skin) Once I did this everything else was a piece of cake. I could find joy in just about anything

  5. Brittany says

    March 13, 2017 at 4:05 am

    What a great reminder to be more intentional with your time and energy. I could definitely work on a couple of things on this list.

  6. Alicia says

    March 13, 2017 at 8:51 am

    I need to work on several of these things. listening to my inner voice. and setting my intentions for the day.

  7. Kari Jonard says

    March 17, 2017 at 3:01 am

    A tip I use often is to not stress. If a task seems impossible and I dread the end of it I just change my thought process to time. The task will be over at x time of day so instead of thinking through tasks, I think in hours. Did that even make sense? haha It keeps me sane.

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Natasha Brown is a mom of four and head sock finder in her home. Grits & Grace was started as a way to meet other southern moms who love everything from their smock dresses and Lily Pulitzer to sweet tea. Let's connect!

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Over the last two weeks I have been stretched in s Over the last two weeks I have been stretched in so many different directions.  But the one thing that has brought joy to my heart was seeing my children enjoy being kids and forgetting the grief that was in their hearts for a few moments.⠀
⠀
The kids and I got to experience a true Chicago winter. We hated it. 🥴 As a southerner, my mind and body are not equipped to handle 16 degree weather. ⠀
⠀
Are you team snow or heck no?
#AD - 2021 is the year of me. One way I am doing t #AD - 2021 is the year of me. One way I am doing this is by making sure that I am more intentional about my time. As I seek to reclaim my time, one way I am doing so is by spending more time with myself for self-care, comfort, and wellness. One thing that I love to do is to sit with a nice hot cup of @BigelowTea from @Target, which is perfect for this January since it's Hot Tea Month!

My morning tea time consists of the Bigelow® Constant Comment Black Tea flavored with orange rind and sweet spice, and my nightly tea is Bigelow® Lavender Chamomile Herbal Tea. Both taste amazing and leave me feeling refreshed and balanced and ready to conquer whatever comes next! Bigelow® Tea is my #1 choice of tea.

Do you have a favorite hot tea? Tell me about it below! Every cup counts! #TeaProudly #BigelowHugInAMug

Check out my stories to see more about my favorite Bigelow® Tea flavors!
This is our ✨Sunday Funday✨ We’re all taking This is our ✨Sunday Funday✨
We’re all taking today to relax and just be together. Sunday’s are the day of rest, after all. 
What do you and your family do for fun on Sunday? Kick back and relax like us? Or maybe brunch? How do y’all make the most of your Sunday💕
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#family #sundayfunday #kickbackandrelax #familytime #familyblogger #bloggermom #mommyblogger #bloggermommy #atlantablogger #georgiablogger #selfcare #selfcaretips
⠀ (Ad) I’m always excited to get quality time ⠀
(Ad) I’m always excited to get quality time in with my teen, especially since she will be off to college in a year. Luckily, she and I have similar interests so it’s always easy to find something to do.⠀
⠀
Aly and I have been listening together to the audiobook of Memory Lane by @saracshepard, and if you or your teen were fans of Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars or of Black Mirror like we are, then this is perfect for you! You can check out this mother/daughter mystery on @serialboxpub starting today! This contemporary sci-fi follows Alex who receives her mother’s implanted memories during a scientific study, and finds out her mom witnessed a drowning years before. Now it’s up to her to evade a killer!⠀
⠀
Sound interesting? Use my code SBNATASHA to get 50% off this or any other @serialboxpub title.⠀
⠀
Serial Box publishes exciting fiction in audiobook and e-book and lets you toggle between formats without losing your place. You can check out their catalog of over 150 titles including sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, historical, and horror genres, plus you get to read and listen to the first episode of every Serial for free. Aly and I can’t wait to to check out some of our favorite characters including Marvel’s Black Widow and Black Panther, and Doctor Who with David Tennant narrating the audiobook as the Doctor!!⠀
⠀
#SerialBox #MemoryLane #SaraShepard #prettylittleliars
Joy is you at the deepest level, and your joy is o Joy is you at the deepest level, and your joy is one with the infinite timeless joy of this unbound universe.-Robert Ellwood⠀
⠀
I have taken a long hard look at what will bring me joy in this season of my life. With everything that has come to pass two things have stood out to me as being most important; being intentional and being present.⠀
⠀
By being intentional, this means that everything I do has to serve a purpose. Just as I want to keep only things and people in my life who serve a greater good, I want to ensure that I everything I am doing serves a greater good as well.⠀
⠀
Being present means exactly what it says. Live in the moment and stop worrying about “next”. This is a major fault of mine, but I am realizing more and more how important this is in order to maintain a higher quality of life. ⠀
⠀
How are you working to be present and intentional in your daily living. #graceupongrace #blackchristianinfluencers #soulsreconnected #familyiseverything #realmomsofinstagram #honestmoms
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
-Winston Churchill

This is my mantra for the day and probably the next several days. My husband and I received some devastating news yesterday, and I truly don’t know how to react. 

‘Do I post? Do I take a break from social media? Should I take a day off?’
All these thoughts have been running through my head, but through tragedy, we must keep going, that’s what our lost loved ones would want. They would want us to thrive and be mentally and emotionally strong, so that’s what I’m going to do. We may be going through hell, but we will keep going. 

#mentalstrength #emotionalstrength #family #familylove #loss #lossofalovedone #mindovermatter #realmomsofinstagram #itsokaynottobeokay #prayers #prayersforhealing #ifyouregoingthroughhellkeepgoing #pushthrough #focus #takeabreak
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Over the last two weeks I have been stretched in s Over the last two weeks I have been stretched in so many different directions.  But the one thing that has brought joy to my heart was seeing my children enjoy being kids and forgetting the grief that was in their hearts for a few moments.⠀
⠀
The kids and I got to experience a true Chicago winter. We hated it. 🥴 As a southerner, my mind and body are not equipped to handle 16 degree weather. ⠀
⠀
Are you team snow or heck no?
#AD - 2021 is the year of me. One way I am doing t #AD - 2021 is the year of me. One way I am doing this is by making sure that I am more intentional about my time. As I seek to reclaim my time, one way I am doing so is by spending more time with myself for self-care, comfort, and wellness. One thing that I love to do is to sit with a nice hot cup of @BigelowTea from @Target, which is perfect for this January since it's Hot Tea Month!

My morning tea time consists of the Bigelow® Constant Comment Black Tea flavored with orange rind and sweet spice, and my nightly tea is Bigelow® Lavender Chamomile Herbal Tea. Both taste amazing and leave me feeling refreshed and balanced and ready to conquer whatever comes next! Bigelow® Tea is my #1 choice of tea.

Do you have a favorite hot tea? Tell me about it below! Every cup counts! #TeaProudly #BigelowHugInAMug

Check out my stories to see more about my favorite Bigelow® Tea flavors!
This is our ✨Sunday Funday✨ We’re all taking This is our ✨Sunday Funday✨
We’re all taking today to relax and just be together. Sunday’s are the day of rest, after all. 
What do you and your family do for fun on Sunday? Kick back and relax like us? Or maybe brunch? How do y’all make the most of your Sunday💕
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#family #sundayfunday #kickbackandrelax #familytime #familyblogger #bloggermom #mommyblogger #bloggermommy #atlantablogger #georgiablogger #selfcare #selfcaretips
⠀ (Ad) I’m always excited to get quality time ⠀
(Ad) I’m always excited to get quality time in with my teen, especially since she will be off to college in a year. Luckily, she and I have similar interests so it’s always easy to find something to do.⠀
⠀
Aly and I have been listening together to the audiobook of Memory Lane by @saracshepard, and if you or your teen were fans of Sara Shepard’s Pretty Little Liars or of Black Mirror like we are, then this is perfect for you! You can check out this mother/daughter mystery on @serialboxpub starting today! This contemporary sci-fi follows Alex who receives her mother’s implanted memories during a scientific study, and finds out her mom witnessed a drowning years before. Now it’s up to her to evade a killer!⠀
⠀
Sound interesting? Use my code SBNATASHA to get 50% off this or any other @serialboxpub title.⠀
⠀
Serial Box publishes exciting fiction in audiobook and e-book and lets you toggle between formats without losing your place. You can check out their catalog of over 150 titles including sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, historical, and horror genres, plus you get to read and listen to the first episode of every Serial for free. Aly and I can’t wait to to check out some of our favorite characters including Marvel’s Black Widow and Black Panther, and Doctor Who with David Tennant narrating the audiobook as the Doctor!!⠀
⠀
#SerialBox #MemoryLane #SaraShepard #prettylittleliars
Joy is you at the deepest level, and your joy is o Joy is you at the deepest level, and your joy is one with the infinite timeless joy of this unbound universe.-Robert Ellwood⠀
⠀
I have taken a long hard look at what will bring me joy in this season of my life. With everything that has come to pass two things have stood out to me as being most important; being intentional and being present.⠀
⠀
By being intentional, this means that everything I do has to serve a purpose. Just as I want to keep only things and people in my life who serve a greater good, I want to ensure that I everything I am doing serves a greater good as well.⠀
⠀
Being present means exactly what it says. Live in the moment and stop worrying about “next”. This is a major fault of mine, but I am realizing more and more how important this is in order to maintain a higher quality of life. ⠀
⠀
How are you working to be present and intentional in your daily living. #graceupongrace #blackchristianinfluencers #soulsreconnected #familyiseverything #realmomsofinstagram #honestmoms
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
-Winston Churchill

This is my mantra for the day and probably the next several days. My husband and I received some devastating news yesterday, and I truly don’t know how to react. 

‘Do I post? Do I take a break from social media? Should I take a day off?’
All these thoughts have been running through my head, but through tragedy, we must keep going, that’s what our lost loved ones would want. They would want us to thrive and be mentally and emotionally strong, so that’s what I’m going to do. We may be going through hell, but we will keep going. 

#mentalstrength #emotionalstrength #family #familylove #loss #lossofalovedone #mindovermatter #realmomsofinstagram #itsokaynottobeokay #prayers #prayersforhealing #ifyouregoingthroughhellkeepgoing #pushthrough #focus #takeabreak
My husband unexpectedly lost his younger brother y My husband unexpectedly lost his younger brother yesterday.⠀
⠀
Even as I type this those words are unreal. He was only 33 years of age. He was honestly my sons best friend, he and my brother are the younger cool uncles, who every kid wishes they had. My husband is my rock, and has been for nearly 12 years. Over the last 8 years I have dealt with death after death in my family and he has been there for me. This time being on the other side, I admit that I do not know what to do.⠀
⠀
We laughed with his sister who asked “when people ask what do you need, what are you supposed to say?” She’s right. None of us know what to say. Is it okay to ask for a cup of coffee, a smoothie, or just someone to vent to?⠀
⠀
My husband is not the type to express his needs. He doesn’t show anger or sadness. So trying to figure out how to support him has been hard. I know he is sick of me asking “are you okay?”, I can’t help it. To support the whole family I’m taking on quite a bit of extra duties and through all of this I have one major thing I have realized- YOU grieve how YOU want to grieve ⠀
⠀
Try not to fall prey to the belief that you have to feel a certain way or do certain things in order to feel normal. Meaning, if you feel sad, please allow the tears to come. If you are angry and you need to vent, allow yourself to safely do so as well.⠀
⠀
Even in a family, it’s important to remember that we all grieve differently and that in itself can create strain and confusion between family members and friends.⠀
⠀
I’ve spent most of the day calling funeral homes, figuring out clothes needed to dress a deceased loved one, and finding a suit for my son and husband. Now that I have a moment, I’m just watching Chris as he sleeps. Figuring out how to be there for him and my children who are hurting. There are so many things that have occurred in the last 24 hours, and maybe one day I will talk about it.⠀
⠀
But in the meantime hold your loved ones tight. ❤️❤️ #familyisforever
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