Confidence-inspiring objects of meditation have been taught by the Buddha to help us find more joy. Sympathetic Joy is one, reflecting on your good Kamma, your generosity, and reflecting on the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha are other confidence inspiring objects which can bring joy because we are reflecting about our refuge. I have found that one of the reasons I like to bring my attention to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha is that it takes a little bit longer to reflect on my good Kamma. Where as it is so much easier for me to reflect on the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha and feel a strength from that. I think Steve's favorite is compassion and lovingkindness. So, everybody has different personalities but as far as getting joy, reminding myself of the highest human potential, as I said before, gives me a lot of joy.
In order to practice reflection on your generosity and your good past actions, it is important to become more generous, so you have more things to reflect upon. In order to able to reflect on your good past Kamma, it is important to try to develop good Kamma, then you have more to reflect on. And it is important to remind ourselves to reflect upon it, rather then focusing simply on our bad Kamma and what we don't do well enough.