To me, joy means being one with yourself and being able to find the good in any situation that happens around you. Joy is the little things that make you feel better daily without you thinking too hard about it. Joy is the pureness of a child's laughter or a dog's unconditional love, the way that you laugh until you cry with a close friend, or the time you take to be by yourself to show yourself the love deserve. Joy comes in many forms and to me, the purest is the joy felt from helping others. I have always found joy in helping people. When I help someone not only do I feel joy, but I know they do as well because they tell me, or it shows on their face. Sometimes I help people in big ways, such as bringing them something they need or helping them move furniture. Other times, I help by just listening to a person and allowing them to express how they feel with no judgment. Each person is different, you can also bring joy to others by just being you. You never know what can change a person's life and bring them the joy they have never experienced before. Being kind even when you do not know someone may be the day they decide to start being more kind as well. Every conversation you have can bring joy to a person, but it can also take it away. Be mindful of what you say and how you say it, you just might affect your joy by taking it away from others.

The wisest thing I have ever heard has come from my mother and that statement is, "positive thoughts, positive results." This statement seems very simple but it has changed my life for the better since the first day she said it to me. The first time I heard "positive thoughts, positive results." I had just failed a sprint test to play for my first college volleyball team, I was devastated and I called my mother crying. My mother explained to me that these sorts of things happen sometimes and that dwelling on the past will not make it change or make it better, now I had to shift my focus to passing the test a few days later. The last thing my mother said to me before we hung up was "positive thoughts, positive results." and that statement rang through my head throughout my entire sprint test. Before I knew it, the sprint test was over, I passed. I called my mother again crying explaining to her how her words helped me that day and I continue to use that statement daily because I now know the power of thought and manifesting your desires. Sometimes it is hard to explore the impact negative thoughts can have on a person- until they begin to shift those thoughts into what they believe, not what they are being told.