JOY IN YOUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES
Are you struggling to find joy in your present circumstances? You are not alone. Many of us tend to forget what Joy is and how we can find it.
Joy in your present circumstances?
Happiness is dependent upon your circumstances but Joy is not. Remember this: No matter what you are going through right now... Joy is simply a choice. I love this quote by Wess Stafford that says.....
"Joy is a decision, a really brave one, about how you are going to respond to life."
WESS STAFFORD
What a perfect description of what joy is and how we can discover it in our lives. This quote reminds us that joy is something we have to choose and keep choosing despite our circumstances. You just need to resolve to get up every day and simply make the choice to find Joy in your present circumstances. I know this is not always an easy thing to do but it can be done.
Rediscovering Joy in your present circumstances
Many times it will seem impossible to find Joy when times are tough. You will struggle just to smile, to pray, or even to drag yourself out of bed. So how do you find Joy in these moments in life? Joy may not be dependent upon our circumstances, but we can still try to surround ourselves with opportunities to increase our Joy. Some of these opportunities might include.....
Learning to be content
No matter where you are in life you can always learn to be content. Contentment happens when we are grateful for our blessings and reflect on them daily. This focus on gratitude helps to increase satisfaction in our lives. No matter what your situation might be, learning to be content right where you are is one of the keys to discovering true joy.
Alter your focus
Whatever is weighing on your mind today keep reminding yourself of the things that still bring you happiness. Choose to reflect on these things and your mindset will help to alter your outlook. Don't allow your focus to shift to negativity or you will also experience the opposite effect.
Joy is a mindset
Remember that Joy is a mindset and not a feeling. Begin to change your mindset and you will find that your joy increases. It is easier to find contentment if you focus on the positive things in your life.
Make a gratitude list
Make a list of things that you are grateful for in your life. This list can be something that you display somewhere that you can view daily. A gratitude list placed somewhere that you spend time frequently can help you to better focus on gratitude every day.
Do something nice and unexpected for others
Bringing happiness to others is a great way to brighten your own life. Finding joy in your present circumstances is much easier when focusing on spreading joy to others. Doing something kind for someone else will not only boost your mood but will bring joy to someone else.
Disconnect from Social Media
Take the leap and disconnect for a while. Remove the apps from your phone. Try a week and if that goes well maybe more. I find that sometimes being connected on social media steals my joy more than anything. For many, this may not be the case but you never know until you try what kind of difference it can make.
Get outside and walk
Take a walk outside and clear your mind. Exercise is not only good for your physical health as we all know but also for your mental health. Getting active every day can make a huge difference in both your mood and your attitude. You will find yourself feeling increasingly happier the more you get active and a little sunshine will also help.
Here is a great video that helps us understand why exercise can make us feel happier, not just keep us healthy.
Get some sunshine
As I mentioned above getting outside in some sunshine can also be extremely helpful in boosting your mood. Serotonin released in our brains is a mood-boosting hormone. You can read more about how Serotonin works and what other benefits that just a little sunshine will provide in this article.
Give yourself some grace
Be patient with yourself and stop expecting miracles. You are special, unique, and important. Your life matters! Don't allow others' opinions of you to shape your opinion of yourself. Your value is not dependent upon the opinions and judgment of others. Be proud of who you are and allow the joy of accepting yourself to overshadow everything else.
Quotes on finding joy in your present circumstances
“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.”
Marianne Williamson
“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.”
Mark Twain
“There are moments when I wish I could roll back the clock and take all the sadness away, but I have the feeling that if I did, the joy would be gone as well.”
Nicholas Sparks
“Comparison is the death of joy.”
Mark Twain
“A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love. She gives most who gives with joy.”
Mother Teresa
“She was becoming sad. There is no joy involved in following others' expectations of yourself.”
Miriam Toews
“When we lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our cracked and dry places, let joy soak into our broken skin and deep crevices, life grows. How can this not be the best thing for the world? For us?”
Ann Voskamp
A final challenge
These are just a few quotes that help us to discover some important aspects of finding joy in your present circumstances. Keep seeking joy every day and in doing so remember to keep spreading joy so that others might also be encouraged through you.