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3 Steps to Joy


I heard this and could not get it out of my mind.

I don’t know who said it, but I would love to share it. There are three steps to finding your inner peace. They seem so basic; they may not strike you as critical. But they are. So, here they are:

  1. Something to do.
  2. Someone to love.
  3. Something to look forward to.

I kept thinking about these steps and realized whoever said this was very wise. Why? Because if you have these three things, you have happiness. You’re fulfilled because you’re busy contributing to the world by having something to do.

You’re content because you can share your love with someone special.

You’re filled with hope because you are eager to what tomorrow brings. You might see the results of your efforts, find a new job, create a business, move to a new city, or reach a lifetime goal.

The point is each of these are profoundly enriching experiences; yet remarkably easy to dismiss as trivial. They’re not inconsequential at all. They’re the heartbeat of happiness.

The first beat motivates you to find your purpose, even if it’s a hobby.

Finding something you love to do or even just something to occupy your time prevents you from prolonged hours of self-pity. You’re busy doing, not fretting.

The second beat reminds you to appreciate the person who earned your love. To recognize that having someone to love is a blessing. And to show your love in little ways, like accepting the other person’s imperfections, running an errand or showing your affection with an unexpected hug.

The third beat focuses on the future and gives you a reason to get excited. How will tomorrow play out? What wonderful surprise will greet you? How many accomplishments will you achieve?  How many new adventures will you experience? What new friends will you make? Hope itself is uplifting. It makes you feel lighter and less restricted. It makes you believe whatever you imagine you can create. It tosses fear out of the picture. It ignites passion and restores conviction.

Have you noticed how each of the three steps uses four-letter words?

  1. Busy = Something to do.
  2. Love = Someone to love.
  3. Hope – Something to look forward to.

Other four-letter words work just as well for “Something to do.” Give it a shot. Take a stab. Seek an activity. Hunt for a hobby. Work at your passion. Plan to get active. It doesn’t matter what four-letter word you use. It’s just interesting that only takes three four-letter words to find your bliss. To reach serenity. To inspire yourself. To feel happy.

Would you believe only three steps could take you there?

Try it. Take a moment and ask yourself:

  1. If you could do anything, what would you do?
  2. If you could find love would it be right in front of you?
  3. If you could create your future what would it look like?

Now answer the questions. Honestly, from your inner core. And discover what you hear. You might be surprised that just looking inward is all you needed to do to find inner peace. To feel simple, yet usually hard-to-reach joy.

It might help to be reminded what Abraham Lincoln once said:

“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

So, why not decide right now that you deserve to be happy? After all, it only takes… three small steps.

By Margo Berman, a contributing blogger for JenningsWire, a blogging community created by Annie Jennings.