The 3-Minute Journal of Joy: A Three-Year Record of Each Day's Memorable Moments - Softcover

Ink & Willow

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593578236 ISBN 13: 9780593578230

Publisher: Ink & Willow, 2022

Synopsis

Celebrate what brings you joy by journaling for just three minutes a day, creating a three-year record of moments worth remembering.

The best way to find joy is simply to look for it every day. Maybe you’ll experience it in the tickle of a kitten’s whiskers against your face, the gentle quiet of the season’s first snowfall, the luxury of a few minutes all to yourself, or the sound of heartfelt laughter with friends. Even on days where nothing seems to go right, something around you can brighten your mood and change your outlook if you just spend a few minutes focusing on it. And if you spread that joy to others, their day will be brightened alongside yours.

With this in mind, allow The 3-Minute Journal of Joy to be your guide as you record moments of blessing and cultivate an overall posture of joy.

Each day, you will be presented with a set of three prompts:

• One word to describe today
• What brought me joy
• How I spread joy

At the end of the year, you will have a beautiful record of joy-filled moments. Feel free to start the journal at any time of year, and remember there’s no pressure if you miss a day or two. As you “stack” joy on top of joy, your practice of recognizing the blessings of each day will develop into a habit and eventually an attitude of joy that you can carry with you for years to come.

About this title

About the Author

Ink & Willow products infuse contemplation and inspiration into the regular spiritual practice of creative-minded Christians, wherever they are in their faith journey. Each thoughtfully curated gift product is based in biblical truth and sparks a reminder of how God reveals beauty in the midst of our ordinary.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Oh, Joy!

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

PSALM 100:1–2

Studies across the fields of psychology, wellness, and general medicine all show strong, direct correlations between happiness and physical health. Basically, people who are happier tend to have a decreased risk of heart conditions, a more fortified immune system, lower blood pressure, and a longer lifespan overall.

For those who adhere to a tradition of Christian faith, joy is the more complete and genuine form of happiness—one given by God and dictated not by present circumstances or fleeting feelings but by an intentional perspective and practiced posture. In this sense, joy is a state that is chosen, sometimes daily, no matter one’s current situation or challenges. Because joy is a choice, and not an emotion dictated by a feeling, it is longer lasting; and when habitually practiced, it has a more solid grounding.

Of course, the practice of choosing joy in every circumstance is not a habit that is won overnight. With this in mind, we have created this journal to help you on your journey of cultivating a mindset and posture of joy. 

Each day, you will be presented with the same set of three prompts:

• One word to describe today
• What brought me joy
• How I spread joy

The first prompt is your chance to honestly reflect on your personal outlook for each given day, because some days just aren’t so great, and finding the joy in them can be extra difficult. On this line, feel free to jot down how you really felt, whether that was anxious, fantastic, angry, excited, or sad.

On the next line, come up with one moment, person, place, object, or experience that brought you joy. Some days, you might have a long list to choose from, while on others, you may have trouble thinking of even one, and that’s okay. This habit stuff is meant to be a little hard sometimes!

For the last prompt, write down one small way you spread joy yourself, whether it was to a family member, friend, neighbor, coworker, or whole community. Keep in mind that a helpful action or kind word that might have required almost no effort on your part may have meant the world to someone else! As you continue this practice over the weeks and months, you’ll start to notice more opportunities you have to spread joy to others, and the more joy you give to others, the more is rebounded to you!

One of the small benefits of this journal is that you can start it any time of year, and there’s absolutely no pressure if you miss a day or two. After you finish going through it once, you can go back through it for two more years, noting present joys as you are reminded of past ones. As you “stack” joy on top of joy, it is our hope that your practice of recognizing the delight of each day will develop into a habit and eventually an attitude that you can carry with you for years to come!

Edition details

• Publisher: Ink & Willow
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593578236
• ISBN 13: 9780593578230
• Binding: Flexibound
• Number of pages: 384