When all is said and done people won’t remember you by the deadlines you hit, the projects you’ve finished, and the job title you held. At the end of the day when you get off of work and home to your family, what they care most about is who you are when you walk through the door. What good is a legacy if it’s only made up of achievements? What good is a career if it’s lacking in joy?

Your legacy doesn’t rely on world shifting accomplishments but rather on the way people feel when you enter and leave a room. No one is going to stand up at your funeral one day and read your resume aloud, what is most memorable is the way you make others feel. A day spent in a state of joy is never wasted and a life built on joy has benefits you may not have ever thought about.

What is True Joy?

The official definition of joy according to Miriam Webster is “A feeling of great pleasure or happiness.” This is not momentary waves of happiness that we’re talking about, this is a mind set and intentionality that acts as a foundation in your life. True joy does not rely on circumstance, and while this doesn’t mean that you are always happy, it does mean that you understand that the hard things don’t last forever. Real and genuine joy can withstand the test of time and is the state of mind and being you return to when all is said and done. True joy doesn’t mean a perfect life or job but rather one that is appreciated and experienced fully. It has nothing to prove to others but rather is a personal choice each of us makes every day of our lives. And lastly, it’s contagious, when you live a life of joy people are inevitably drawn to you because your presence isn’t draining when you’re joyful, but rather it can feel invigorating for others to be around.

But what it is that joy has to offer? What are the benefits of choosing to be intentional about chasing it?

What Joy Does For You

When someone is happy and joyful in their everyday life their bodies are better off in the long haul in regards to sleep, diet, lower blood pressure, and stress. Some of those factors combined with others also point to a lesser likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease in the future.

But what about beyond the blatant health benefits? In your professional and personal life, being a person who is joyful improves your relationships not just with friends and family, but team members as well. When you are someone with a positive mindset and joyful attitude people not only respect you, but like you. As a leader, joy allows your team to perform at a higher level because your passion and joy will absolutely trickle down to them. Respect isn’t given to you with a job title, it’s earned through the way you treat others and live your life. No one wants to follow someone they don’t feel good around, people want to be led by someone who excites them, joy is contagious and if you bring it to work everyday your team will start to adopt the same mindset. You are more likely to have new opportunities come your way when you live a life of joy as well because people are drawn to positivity meaning more doors open when you approach them with authentic and good intentions.

So this all sounds great…but how do we attain joy?

The tricky thing here is that joy is different for everyone, there isn’t a simple cookie cutter method to becoming a joyful person but there are attributes of joyful people that you can look to in order to garner joy in your own life. So then, what are attributes of a joyful person?

1. They actively seek to find joy in the ordinary

Simply put, if you want to find joy, you have to look for it. The good news? Joy is rarely hiding, but rather waiting to be found. As you drive to work and are at a stop light, is the person in the car next to you singing along to a song you can’t hear? Is there side walk chalk in your neighborhood you may not notice if you hadn’t been looking? Being present in the moment allows you to find the joy in the simple things others may deem as ordinary. The truth is though that the ordinary is brimming with the capability of being magnificent-and joyful people will find it.

2. They accept the things they can’t control and focus on what they can

This attribute is far easier said than done but that doesn’t make it impossible. Control is something we all yearn for yet it’s impossible to have everything in your life neatly tucked away and under it. Recognize the things you can’t do anything about and allow yourself to focus on what you can control. What can you control? The way you treat people, the way you respond to a problem, and the state of being you choose to reside in regardless of circumstance.

3. They create moments in the everyday to look forward to

Be it a stop at your favorite coffee shop or a walk around an area you like, when you make plans like these you are giving yourself something to look forward to. The small things in life are just as important as the big things and when you live a life of joyful anticipation you’re setting yourself up to be happier in the day to day. Set a reminder on your phone or write down a time in your planner to do something small that will spark joy in your day. Let yourself be excited about the everyday moments in your life.

4. They don’t concern themselves with gossip

Drama is an alluring topic to most anyone, but does it really ever benefit you to be a part of or actively discuss? Joyful people keep a wide berth around topics of gossip and pettiness because they know that at the end of the day it does little if anything to edify their lives.

5. They give to others what they themselves want

It’s the golden rule, “Treat others the way you want to be treated” and it is a sure fire way to brighten your own day by bringing light to the lives of others. Think about the things that you would love for others to do for you and then do them for the people around you. What you give to others will come back to you in one way or the other, be it them returning the favor or the joy of seeing someone else happy. A fast track to happiness is to bring it to others.

6. They don’t stop chasing it

Joy, while it sounds fluffy and simple, is in reality anything but. If you want to be joyful you have to be intentional about it. You have to want to possess it, and you have to choose it everyday even when things feel anything but joy filled. You’re allowed to have bad days, even weeks, but at the end of it all, where is your mind and heart returning to? You don’t suddenly achieve joy one day and then always have it, you have to chase it and choose it everyday you wake up. Let joy become a habit and watch how your life shapes around it.

Conclusion

If you want to be happy no one can stop you. If you want to live a life filled with joy, there is not circumstance that can stand a chance. If you want to be a joyful person, it’s up to you to decide that and chase it. Joy isn’t hiding from you, it’s waiting to be found. A legacy based in love and joy is the only kind truly worth having. If you want to lead in a way that truly impacts the people and world around you in a positive way, joy is the secret weapon.

Lead Well,