DISCOVERING JOY AND CONTENTMENT IN LIFE
Are you content with where you are in life? What is necessary for you to find contentment and finally live a joyful life? The answer may surprise you.... The answer is That you already have it all right where you are now.Contentment and joy are a product of your choices and of the way that you chose to live your life everyday. You can have a million dollars and everything you have ever wanted and could still be completely miserable. You can be dirt poor and have nothing to your name and be one of the happiest people alive. I know this is absolutely possible because I have been through some very difficult times in my past. Keep in mind that I have been through some very low points in my life where due to large amounts of debt I technically had nothing. It was in those dark times that I still found contentment and joy. I have had no money, overdrafts at the bank, credit cards maxed out, major surgery and massive bills. If you are in this place currently and you feel like you will be in this place forever and never find your way out, I want you to know that I do completely understand.The truth is most of us do not know quite how to find joy and contentment especially in the tough times in life. I do believe that it is attainable and it is mainly a matter of perspective and of choice. You can chose to reflect on what you do not have as I frequently find myself doing, or you can do the opposite and reflect on your blessings. So let me ask you.......what does bring your life joy?
Does money bring Joy?
Is it money? Money is great but can it ever really make you genuinely happy. Imagine your life with money and take away your significant other, your family, pets and friends. Somehow that money no longer seems as important. Many who have money can just as quickly lose it all. I'm not going to tell you money makes you miserable or having money is a negative thing. It absolutely is not. Your focus however when it is completely on money can make you pretty miserable. Money is a tool and when it is used as a tool to enrich our lives and the lives of others it is being viewed properly.
Do we find true joy in Relationships?
How about your relationships? Do your relationships hold the key to true joy and contentment in your Life? Is it found in our relationships with others? Relationships can definitely bring us joy and enrich our lives, however that joy is fleeting. I do not believe true joy or contentment are found in our relationships either. Many relationships come and go in life and if we were to rely on relationships for this how would we feel when that person is gone? If we rely solely on relationships to provide joy we would end up very disappointed. People are unpredictable and relying completely on others can leave us alone and confused at times. Many of us can relate to this and have found ourselves burned in the past. Burned by the people in our lives that we may have felt held the key to that joy and contentment. Relationships are a valuable aspect of our lives and one of the most important aspects that can bring us joy but do not seek joy in relationships alone. Just remember to seek contentment and joy from within yourself and reflect on the many blessings in your life.
What leads to and produces contentment and joy in our life?
The truth is I believe that true joy comes from contentment and accepting where we are in our lives. It is hard to accept that none of this is really in our control, but it is also easy to see why being content with where we are can lead to increased joy. I am a Christian, so I also believe that joy and contentment come through a relationship with Jesus Christ resulting in a more joyful outlook on life. Not everyone accepts this as truth, but for me this is a key factor in my own personal life of discovering Joy and contentment in the difficult times.In the month of November I worked together with some awesome bloggers to spread more thankfulness and gratitude across social media and our blogs. Our focus during this month was shifted to being more mindful of what we have and grateful for our blessings. This is honestly a big step to finding contentment in your life. You will find as you think about all of your blessings and live a more grateful life that you will become more content with where you are. Your mindset and the condition of your heart, will have a lot to do with how content you are in your life everyday.As Christmas approaches I hope that you can all discover more joy and contentment in your own lives. I hope that 2019 brings about a year of renewed hope for your future, a joy that you did not have before and an energy to tackle your financial situation.
