My Thought for Today: Finding Joy

Finding joy when there doesn’t seem to be a reason to may seem impossible, but to me, it’s becoming a way of life. When I tell people my story it takes a minute. I make sure to prepare them beforehand. Usually I get a head nod and a reassuring smile or an “it’s okay,” while they patiently wait. My deep breath isn’t as audible anymore, but it’s there. When I finish, I make sure to add something positive, such as, “I’m grateful to be where I am,” or “there’s so much more for me to learn,” because those things are the truth. You don’t live through the things I have and the amount of things I have with some sort of acknowledgment that there isn’t just negativity in your life. I’m still here. If that isn’t positive, I don’t know what is.

Stopping to notice the little things is important, it’s more than important, it’s imperative. It seems like the world has lost the gift of sight. We walk around with blinders on, so hyper-focused on our destination that we can’t remember how we got there. If we can’t recount our day or the steps it took to accomplish our goals, how can we expect someone to remember the little things that matter to us? How can we remember them ourselves? I want to be present for the journey, to be aware of all of it, to see my accomplishments and learn from my mistakes.

Life has its pitfalls and the things that are going to happen whether we want them to or not. Some of us have lived through a barrage of unexpected and expected difficulties. How we choose to handle those situations is what shapes our outlook on life. Joy and happiness are choices. It may be more difficult at times to choose joy, but I’d much rather work at being happy than sliding into sadness and frustration. It wasn’t so pretty when my life was ruled by storm clouds and rain. I’ll take sunshine and daisies any day. I’m choosing joy.