5 Tips to Manifest Joy
By Nicole Glassman 
We move through life like machines on a mission. We unwillingly rise early, eat our typical breakfast, complete our stressful daily work tasks, eat dinner in front of the television and finish the day by collapsing in bed. We race against the clock to finish our daily responsibilities and we are rarely present. We dream of the weekend yet we spend half of the time running errands. Does this sound like you? Now ask yourself: What truly makes me happy and what part of my routine brings me joy?
It seems crazy to have to contemplate what makes you truly happy. Yet, after I was asked this question three years ago, it was the start of an awakening. I am a holistic nutritionist and I was living my life like a robot. I started my day early and I spent hours responding to emails even before I got to work. I had started a new business venture, so on top of my regular client load I was balancing a new project and my regular practice. I would see clients until 8pm and I would literally go home and cry.
I was exhausted and miserable and I felt like I had to suffer to be successful. I had lost sight of what made me happy and I didn’t even realize it. When I bumped into an old friend he brought awareness to my misery with his simple, but complicated question about happiness. I did have a response to his question, only I realized that NONE of the things I mentioned were part of my regular routine—or even my monthly routine!
I love being near the water and I was spending time in a skyscraper. I love animals and nature and I hadn’t left Manhattan in six months. I adore my family and I hadn’t seen them for three months. I love writing and music, but I hadn’t explored either one of my passions in ages. His question forced me to re-evaluate and make drastic changes in my path.
When you live your life on autopilot, it isn’t your own. Your choices are made from a place of “have to” rather than “want to” and your wishes and goals become secondary. Often, you may feel fatigued because you are drained by life’s responsibilities, rather than energized by life’s pleasures. You may even suffer from digestive issues because you aren’t “digesting” your life or a thyroid imbalance because you’re suppressing your creative voice. Although it isn’t easy to make each day full of passion and purpose, we can make it a practice to be more present and aware of that little voice inside of each of us that knows we deserve more.
