Hello, everybody, and welcome to my first official installment of "How to Live a Blissful Life." If I weren't in such an atrocious mood, I'd be happy to be here, but unfortunately, I'm in a bit of a tizzy. For the better part of a day, I've been hacking my way through the unforgiving jungle of my mind with my machete of words in order to deliver you something brilliant for this inaugural post. About an hour ago, I punctuated my final sentence and gave the piece I'd just barely conquered a once over. It was bad. It was really, really bad. It was drowning in inauthenticity and pretension, and I wouldn't have let you touch it with a 10-foot stick.

I’m Joanna Scott Satterwhite. I’m thrilled to be joining HealthyPlace as one of the new writers of the "Living a Blissful Life" blog. It remains to be seen whether I actually know how to live a blissful life, but I’m out here trying, and that’s at least half the battle.

I've spent over two blissful years writing to you each month on this blog. My time with HealthyPlace has been a special time. Like all good things, this one is finally coming to an end. I want to use my final blog post to share what I have learned about myself over the past two years and how writing this blog has helped me grow as a person.

While it's only been a few months since I started writing as an author for "Living a Blissful Life," I have enjoyed offering a bit of hope during a stressful time for many. With so many struggles, negativity, and challenges in this world, I intended to show that it is still possible to live a blissful life. I hope you've been able to learn a few tips through my posts and realized you, too, have this opportunity.

I've found that sometimes I need to trick my mind into changing my beliefs. While there are endless ways to do this, one, in particular, has worked well for me. Incorporating affirmations into my daily life has helped change my beliefs more habitually. And when you alter your beliefs, especially when it comes to what you think about yourself, life gets a whole lot better.

With the holidays nearly here, I've been taking some time to reflect on what it will mean to find joy during a very different holiday season. For many people, this time of year brings a mix of happiness and overwhelmingness. And in 2020, both feelings will likely be heightened.

"Feeling the fear" as an adult is much different from what our caregivers told us. How often did you hear someone tell you not to be afraid when you were growing up? Your parents likely said you don't need to be afraid of the dark when you went to bed. Maybe a coach encouraged you not to be fearful about trying a new skill. Did your teacher ever tell you not to be afraid to speak up in class?

Intimate relationships often hold a mirror to us so that we may see the unhealthiest parts of ourselves. I have recently made an important connection between my codependent behaviors and my self-worth, thus unearthing a new phase in my personal wellness journey.

How you start your day can make or break your next 24 hours. There are so many ideas and suggestions about how to spend your time immediately after crawling out of your cozy bed. I've heard a lot of people say getting the hardest task out of the way first is the right approach. Others say following a morning routine will set your day up for success. After trying more morning rituals than I can count, I've learned that the best way to start my day is to do something that gives me energy. Feeling like I can tackle the day, rather than walking through the motions sluggishly, has helped me lead a happier life.

Who doesn't want more happiness? But when you feel like you need a change and don't know which way to turn, life can feel nothing short of confusing and frustrating. I've found that coming back to yourself and focusing on what fuels you can be powerful. When you can settle in and determine what's actually important to you specifically, a world of happiness emerges.