Try these 3 techniques to live more joyously ....it'll be your game changer.

Written by Janani D'Silva, active gratefulness practitioner, coach and technology consultant.

We have grown up with the notion that some of us simply have an optimistic outlook in life, and view the metaphorical glass as being half full. Then there are the other 'types' who are seen to be more pessimistic on how things will turn out, and are seen to be the ones who view the glass as being half empty. Yet, set aside the optimist and the pessimist, because there's an age old third notion of how to be - and that is to be grateful and thankful; to see that glass and be joyous that it is even there!

There's no doubt that these are troubled times - with many of us restless with the gloom that surrounds us. With real troubles surfacing, friends and family in real risk of ill health, economy downturns, job losses, racial tensions and social restrictions weighing us down. Even with the real risks presenting themselves, you're not wrong to wonder if it's even possible to be grateful...and my suggestion is, it's more the reason to be so**.

Each of us is soldiering on, one foot in front of the other - but even the most positive of us can hit a wall at times. As this wears old, we need to actively work on our gratitude for everything we do have that we can be thankful for.

Here are 3 methods by which you can live a more grateful and joyous life:

1. Reflect on every single thing that you have encountered in your life you are grateful for and write each one down in a journal. Be it sound advice, friendships, jobs, health, great support, family, holidays, fresh air, music, nature, wins, learnings, laughs, books - you have an endless list of things you have encountered to date that would have given you joy. Give thanks for having these experiences and relive them in your mind and feel the joy again as you think of them. Go back to this journal to reflect on these experiences and bring that sense of joy back to yourself.
2. Cultivate a daily habit of giving thanks for three things you are grateful for. Be it for the rain that pours down as it will provide for your garden and the dams, or for the breath you take for it gives you another day, or for the laugh you had with dear friends in the weekend that fueled your soul. Send those vibes of gratitude out far so they echo and return to you.
3. Get perspective using the Japanese practice of reflection called Naikan. Before going to bed each day, contemplate on the following:

• Think about the people, animals, environment you have interacted with for the day, and ask yourself "What did I receive from <name>". Think about every thing you've received - be it a meal someone made for you, beauty of nature, a warm welcome from a pet, someone giving you way to change lanes whilst driving, or an email of support from your colleague, or the bus that took you to your destination safely. As we rush through our fast paced lives, it's easy to not take stock of those small things that keep us in equilibrium; yet when you stop to think and notice those things that keep the status quo in your life, you'll naturally find gratitude rising in your spirit.
• Think about your day and ask yourself "What did I give to <name>" - thinking of the people, animals, environment in your life. As you reconcile your day, with the checks and balances of what you give and what you take, you will see daily your credit or debit total. What have you given to others, and are you in surplus? Have you picked up rubbish off the ground to help nature remain beautiful, have you helped someone as you've been helped, have you managed to give as much as you received? Contemplating on this will drive you to pause and acknowledge what it is you could do more of, igniting the power of living more selflessly.
• Finally, think deeply and for long about 'What troubles or difficulties have I caused today". Did you cut someone off in traffic, did you say negative things that are unhelpful to others, did you dismiss someone's thoughts, did you delay someone, or not respond promptly to a request of you? It's easy to dismiss your wrongdoing as not having time, or a simple oversight, or have a multitude of excuses for causing someone else some trouble. But without judgement, look at your behaviour and notice what you did do, that goes against your spirit. This will give you a clue for how you can proceed the next day.

Having a grateful heart and a thankful outlook presents you with an alternative way of being. It brings you out of the funk that is all too easy to get into, so have a go and try these techniques and live joyously.

What are some things you do to live more joyously and with gratitude? What helps you during these troubled times? Please share your strategies and tips so we can benefit from conversation.

** Please do take note, that if you are feeling sustained periods of sadness, anxiety, depression, loneliness or suffering from states of mental discomfort, reach out to loved ones, trusted colleagues, your employee assistance programs who will have trained counselors, or contact Life Line in Australia: 13 11 14. You matter very much. __________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading my article. I coach and mentor the junior workforce in the organisation I work for, and am also a mother of three, wife of one and friend of many! I have been in management consulting and technology project delivery for 19 years and my joy comes from helping clients, colleagues and friends succeed personally and professionally.