You had a remarkably busy day. I’m sure you understand–food to buy and cook, laundry, people to call, money to earn, so on and so forth. So, when I saw a story on the news about someone who was going through something or I consider what I’ve seen people go through, I had to pause. My long-time great friend, a gifted physician, lost her battle with COVID, leaving behind a teenage son. I’ve seen a “bad day” dissolve another incredible friend to the confines of her bedroom, because this single mom, could not process the additional bad news doctors shared with her about her chronically ill child. These two families can’t shake it off; they are forced to live in the void with their problems.
By prioritizing challenges, inconveniences, problems, I developed some ability to take a larger view; perhaps that can help you relish joy as well. Are bad days really terribly bad days? Of course, that’s subjective, but being caught in the rain is not the same as having a car accident in the rain. Not getting my Starbucks order right is not the same as not having money for coffee at all.
I don’t like to play in the oppression Olympics, but it’s important to take a sec to think about our problems. Yes, we all have our issues, but sometimes we could be more annoyed or irritated than an actual problem, especially if we stay in that state of mind. The next time we make a big fuss about our problems, think about if you still have something to be joyful about? Do you have a problem or are you just upset for the moment? Rinse repeat … do you have a problem or are you just upset for the moment? We use the 3-rule fuss method in our house, for every problem, name 3 blessings. It helps create balance. Try it!
Take some deep breaths, and you can get through it! Remember, our ultimate joy is composed of many, many small decisions. Which will you choose?
Do you you find it difficult to be joyous in this day and age? Learn more about leveraging your joy.
