Holiday seasons are times when everyone is wishing for a little peace and tranquility, and hoping to make a fresh start in life, with purpose and passion.

Perhaps your life is not as peaceful and tranquil as you hoped it would turn out, and you are still searching for that thing that stirs your soul.

Becoming happy is an inside job. It is not what happens when you get the new car or go on that beach vacation (though that is a temporary pleasure). Some type and level of stress will hover every now and then. There will always be challenges.

The simplest things in life—like sunshine and love—matter the most, and they are the ones that give you the strength to deal with the strains of life.

For the holiday season and beyond, try these strategies for enhancing the quality of your life:

FIND JOY

One of the quickest ways to hold on joy is to create the habit of gratitude. Make a list every night of five or 10 things that you are grateful for today. This will rewire your brain circuitry to trigger positive thoughts, instead of going with the natural tendency of negative thinking, which creates misery.

It could be a child’s smile, the health of your family or the fact that you still have a job (and so many people don’t).

To help yourself be mindful of your thoughts, you can wear a wrist band, and every time you think a negative thought, switch the band to the other hand. You might be surprised how many times you have to do that.

This exercise makes you attentive to what you are thinking. It gives you a choice of what you want your brain to think: “Darn, I am 10 pounds overweight” can become “I am thankful I am healthy, so I will go for a 30-minute walk.”

MEDITATE

Meditation can be in the form of prayer, breathing exercises, enjoying moments of silence, or simply being aware of this present moment. Be aware of your “now.”