I've seen the 'today, I choose joy' quote everywhere lately. It seems that more and more people are realizing, either with maturity or cultural influence, that joy truly is a choice. We don't choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond.
In the past, I've responded with anger and sadness to the whirlwind of life around me. That just made things worse. When you give in to life and let it knock you down, things only tend to pile up on top of you until you are too overwhelmed and buried to do anything about it. You have to dig yourself up and out every day so you are ready for whatever comes next. You truly do have to choose joy.
Now, joy does not always mean happiness. Joy, to me, means contentment, kindness or peace. You don't have to walk around with a Barbie-stiff smile on your face. You just can't give in to the negative emotions trying to overtake you.
1. It's the little things.
Try to do little things that make you happy and bring you joy. Take a walk in the snow, lay out on the beach, take a bubble bath, treat yourself to some chocolate. Anything small that you can do to bring yourself joy, do it. A little thing like that can go a long way in destroying negative emotions.
2. Don't dwell.
Some circumstances must be dealt with and so you have to think about them all the time. But, once a situation or relationship is dealt with, move on! Our hurt will be there regardless, but if you keep picking at that emotional scar, it will get infected and take forever to heal. Be kind to yourself and let your heart heal.
3. Choose your company wisely.
We all have that one friend that needs all of our attention all the time. Be aware of that friend in your life. Be aware of how much emotional energy they sap from you. If necessary, rid yourself of that relationship. If the relationship is an important one to you, set emotional boundaries for yourself when interacting with that individual. Find friends who uplift you so you can choose joy together and grow.
4. Be different.
We live in a victim-mentality culture. Don't see yourself as a victim. See yourself as an overcomer. Yes bad stuff happens and yes life knocks you down sometimes but guess what, you're still here! So fight back! Teach life that you are stronger and that nothing will take your joy from you. Don't blame your problems on everyone else, we all tend to do that. Take responsibility for your own life and your own actions.
5. Trust God.
The final and most important, trust God. He's got you. We live in a fallen world and bad things happen here. He doesn't cause these things to happen but I guarantee He will bring something good from it. It's hard to see but He will. Trust that his plan for you is good. His plan is to prosper you and not to harm you. So trust him to see you through. Even if you can't choose joy sometimes, I know I can't always do it, trust Him to see you through. You'll make it to the other side, promise.
In the past, I've responded with anger and sadness to the whirlwind of life around me. That just made things worse. When you give in to life and let it knock you down, things only tend to pile up on top of you until you are too overwhelmed and buried to do anything about it. You have to dig yourself up and out every day so you are ready for whatever comes next. You truly do have to choose joy.
Now, joy does not always mean happiness. Joy, to me, means contentment, kindness or peace. You don't have to walk around with a Barbie-stiff smile on your face. You just can't give in to the negative emotions trying to overtake you.
So how do we 'choose joy?'
1. It's the little things.Try to do little things that make you happy and bring you joy. Take a walk in the snow, lay out on the beach, take a bubble bath, treat yourself to some chocolate. Anything small that you can do to bring yourself joy, do it. A little thing like that can go a long way in destroying negative emotions.
2. Don't dwell.
Some circumstances must be dealt with and so you have to think about them all the time. But, once a situation or relationship is dealt with, move on! Our hurt will be there regardless, but if you keep picking at that emotional scar, it will get infected and take forever to heal. Be kind to yourself and let your heart heal.
3. Choose your company wisely.
We all have that one friend that needs all of our attention all the time. Be aware of that friend in your life. Be aware of how much emotional energy they sap from you. If necessary, rid yourself of that relationship. If the relationship is an important one to you, set emotional boundaries for yourself when interacting with that individual. Find friends who uplift you so you can choose joy together and grow.
4. Be different.
We live in a victim-mentality culture. Don't see yourself as a victim. See yourself as an overcomer. Yes bad stuff happens and yes life knocks you down sometimes but guess what, you're still here! So fight back! Teach life that you are stronger and that nothing will take your joy from you. Don't blame your problems on everyone else, we all tend to do that. Take responsibility for your own life and your own actions.
5. Trust God.
The final and most important, trust God. He's got you. We live in a fallen world and bad things happen here. He doesn't cause these things to happen but I guarantee He will bring something good from it. It's hard to see but He will. Trust that his plan for you is good. His plan is to prosper you and not to harm you. So trust him to see you through. Even if you can't choose joy sometimes, I know I can't always do it, trust Him to see you through. You'll make it to the other side, promise.
