Purpose & Meaning in Life. A healthy personality has a sense of direction, values, and goals that contribute to personal fulfillment. He/she finds meaning in daily experiences, even in difficult times. Example: A janitor who sees their job as more than a paycheck, finding joy in keeping a building clean for those who enter its space..
joy
Healthy Tips: Building Mental Toughness
Note: Over the next few days, the Healthy Tips blog post will focus on mental toughness. Our mental toughness helps us to overcome our challenges, big or small.
Mental Toughness Tip: “We can build mentally strong minds by increasing our focus on positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, and hope.” Source
Seeking Joy ~ A Poem by William H. Davies
Seeking Joy
William H. Davies
Joy, how I sought thee!
Silver I spent and gold,
On the pleasures of this world,
In splendid garments clad;
The wine I drank was sweet,
Rich morsels I did eat—
Oh, but my life was sad!
Joy, how I sought thee!
Joy, I have found thee!
Far from the halls of Mirth,
Back to the soft green earth,
Where people are not many;
I find thee, Joy, in hours
With clouds, and birds, and flowers—
Thou dost not charge one penny.
Joy, I have found thee!
Joy ~ A Poem by Carl Sandburg
Joy
Carl Sandburg
Let a joy keep you.
Reach out your hands
And take it when it runs by,
As the Apache dancer
Clutches his woman.
I have seen them
Live long and laugh loud,
Sent on singing, singing,
Smashed to the heart
Under the ribs
With a terrible love.
Joy always,
Joy everywhere—
Let joy kill you!
Keep away from the little deaths.
Wonders Surround You
“Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness.” ~ Pearl S. Buck
A Good Man ~ A Poem by James Whitcomb Riley
A Good Man
James Whitcomb Riley
(Note: James Whitcomb Riley died in 1916. His poem, A Good Man, could easily be titled A Good Woman)
A good man never dies–
In worthy deed and prayer
And helpful hands, and honest eyes,
If smiles or tears be there:
Who lives for you and me–
Lives for the world he tries
To help–he lives eternally.
A good man never dies.
II
Who lives to bravely take
His share of toil and stress,
And, for his weaker fellows’ sake,
Makes every burden less,–
He may, at last, seem worn–
Lie fallen–hands and eyes
Folded–yet, though we mourn and mourn,
A good man never dies.
Peace on Earth
“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” — Norman Vincent Peale
Fill Your Life With Joy
Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain. ~ Joseph Campbell
Be Sunny ~ A Poem by Wildie Thayer
Be Sunny
Wilde Thayer
Does the world seem void of beauty ?
Does your home with shade abound ?
Then this is your binding duty:
Be the brightest thing around.
A Prescription for a Great Day
I’m up early, usually around 5 a.m. I get up in a good mood and head into the day with a great attitude. This morning I felt a bit grumpy. I didn’t like the feeling. My mind reeled for a quick fix. I sat on the edge of the bed pondering my next move when the solution struck like a lightening bolt. I asked Alexa, my digital assistant, to play the “Chicken Dance.” The music started and I popped out of bed and did the chicken dance around the bedroom. Grumpy mood gone. I was ready to start the day. Enjoy the YouTube video and pick up your mood.
