A friend of mine recently told me that she often doesn’t feel well. I hear similar stories regularly as a coach. Many people today feel like they are stuck in a rut and have no idea how to climb out. I write this story for all those who recognize themselves in this.

When you’re in a rut, it’s hard to see clearly how to climb out and rise on the emotional ladder. Everything appears through a negative lens. It’s time to gain a new perspective! For this, we first need to return to one of the basic laws of the universe.

One of the spiritual basic laws of the universe is: what you send out comes back to you. We often forget that we are energetic beings emitting a certain vibration 24 hours a day. This vibration (message) is determined by our state of being. The message we send with all our thoughts, emotions, and actions is mirrored back to us. The universe effectively acts as a large mirror. If we want to live a joyful life, it’s important to pay attention to what message we’re sending to the universe. In other words, it’s essential to smile in the mirror if you want to see a smile (joyful reflection) in return.

Our natural state is one of peace, joy, and love. That’s who we truly are at our core. When we don’t experience our natural state, it means we need to climb the “emotional ladder.” At the bottom of this ladder is the state of fear, depression, and hopelessness. At the top of the ladder is your natural state of being: Peace, Joy, Love, and Appreciation.

So how can you climb the ladder? To start simply: Be kind. It’s simple, but powerful. Just by having a kind attitude, you can be a blessing to those in your life. And be kind to yourself. Stop attacking and criticizing yourself all day. Be nice to yourself. Take good care of yourself.

Furthermore, it’s crucial to learn to focus. Many people aren’t aware of what they’re doing with their focus and attention. If you think negative thoughts all day, that’s what you’re focusing on. Consequently, you’re also emitting a negative vibration all day. So, it’s important to shift your focus to things that inspire you and bring you joy.

For the past 15 years, I have been writing daily in my gratitude journal. There are so many small (and large) events in a day that make me happy. The power of appreciation is immense. It helps me tremendously to climb the ladder of joy. I note all these lovely moments and experiences in my journal. I appreciate the butterfly that lands on my hand, the dear friends in my life, a piece of raw chocolate, the beautiful songs I sing, the cute little birds I saw today, the sincerity of people, examples of courage, the time I have to meditate, sitting next to a sparkling mountain stream, picking sweet raspberries, and traveling and having adventures. Do you see what I’m doing here? I’m climbing the ladder. I find my life increasingly enjoyable as I focus my attention on the wonderful gifts in my life. What you pay attention to grows! Even if it’s just a tiny thing in a day, you can give it your attention. If you focus all your appreciation on it, you rise on the ladder. And it works! It’s as if you’re placing your order with the universe. Waiter: I appreciate this… please give me more of it. And you receive more! As I write this, I see three admirals sitting next to me. Beautiful; I love butterflies!

At the end of the year, I read through my entire gratitude journal. I really take a moment for it. I wrap myself in a warm blanket and grab a warm drink. Then I start reading… the whole year comes back to life. I relive all the moments of appreciation, experiences of beauty, and love. I see the common thread of my life. In such moments, I feel deep joy, appreciation, and love. Tears roll down my cheeks. Sigh, what a beautiful life it is!

Do you see what I’m doing here? This is the story I tell myself. This is the message I send out into life. I tell the story of joy, adventure, beauty, unconditional love, kindness, courage, and appreciation! And my life is good! My life is wonderful!

However, many people tell themselves the story of sadness, hopelessness, and depression, locking themselves in a victim role. It’s time to change this. Use your will and courage to start telling yourself a different story from today. You are the author and creator of your own life, and from today you can write a new story. Who do you want to be in this story? A victim of circumstances? Or the hero who turns this tragedy into something better? Every new day is a new beginning.

For those stuck in a rut, it’s also important to keep feeding your mind with positive input throughout the day. Think of inspiring books, beautiful music, and warm friends. I am currently reading a book by Yogananda, Man’s Eternal Quest. A wonderful book! Nourishment for the soul.

Climbing out of the rut also involves clearing out the inner clutter in your mind. Pay attention throughout the day to what you think and feel. With this inner awareness, you can catch yourself on all the negative voices (fears, limiting beliefs, criticism, etc.) in your head. Don’t listen to these dark thoughts any longer; they will slowly but surely fade away. If you no longer give them attention, they won’t get any energy either. And then they will disappear. Don’t fight against negative thoughts! Simply accept that they are there and don’t pay attention to them. These unwanted guests will then leave.

Another important key to climbing the ladder of joy is meditation. Take time each morning and evening to meditate. You can start by focusing on a calm inhale and exhale. Once you can meditate in silence on your breath for a while, you can go deeper into meditation. There are many books available to help you with this.

You may be wondering, how do you meditate, Joris? I’ve noticed that I can meditate deeply when I focus on what I call the energy of Love. I close my eyes and direct my attention to the feeling of love. Once I feel pure love, it has a strong attraction for me. This allows me to focus more deeply on this energy… Slowly the world and all thoughts fade away, and what remains is pure love. This pure love is God. This works for me.

Then, it’s about the art of bringing this pure love into expression in your daily life. That’s the goal. Who do you want to be? What qualities do you want to express? When you express pure love in this way, you become one of the ambassadors of Light. You bring divine Love here on earth. That’s why we are here!

You bring light to those who are in a rut and extend a helping hand. Together, we climb up the ladder. Helping each other is a powerful way to rise.

As a child, I received the spiritual name Miraj from a Sufi teacher. Miraj means ‘ladder’ or ‘means of ascent’. I hope this little story helps you to climb the ladder of Joy!