Joy is something we may and ought to choose!
We usually think of joy as an emotion like happiness. But we can't choose to be happy, not really. We can't control emotion, not reliably anyway. So, to see it in a new way, joy is also a deliberate attitude we can adopt. And joy can be had simply, by anyone, with almost no effort.
First let me say, the decision to be joyful is not a foolish attempt to ignore life's problems or to deny the pains we all have. But even in the face of our greatest suffering, joy can be kick-started by action we can take. Here is how I get back to joy:
- I consciously focus my thoughts on the gift of my life (setting aside my hurt even for just a few seconds to remind myself how amazing this life is)
- I smile (however invisible at first)
- I say, "Thank you Lord for my life (even what I don't like about it). Amen."
In a spiritual sense, joy is a way of seeing and experiencing life as the great gift from God that it is. Being joyful begins by being appreciative and grateful for this life. Joy actually sets the stage for finding our purpose in life. Other good things grow from this little effort, this seed. Why not plant seeds?!
Today, I will choose to have a glad heart, and will say my Joy Prayer throughout the day.
And now for something completely different. We have many saints that show us how to live purposeful lives, so I thought I would start sharing their stories each day, and ask their intercession too.
Our Lady of Fatima, Mother of Jesus who appeared to the three children in 1917, pray for us.
St. Matthias, chosen as the apostle to replace Judas, pray for us.
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