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Finding Joy

It's been over 3 years since I felt anything close to joy................the last holiday season that I felt excited and optimistic was 2012, and as I pondered that fact this morning, I realized that I had to do a great deal of faking through that holiday.  The sense of joy lingered in the shadows, but it had not completely disappeared.

Maybe it's joy I miss.  When I write about missing a person, maybe it is joy.

I used to save the little metal round lids on frozen juice containers.  I had a stack of about 40 of them.  In 2012, I decorated the lids with black / white photos of our family members.  The ornaments turned out so cute.  What stands out about the project now is that I didn't even complete my original plan.

It's my own fault that joy has left me.  I didn't guard / protect it enough.  Too late did I make it the priority.

A friend posted this on FB, and it pretty much summed up what I needed to do instead of dwelling on what I think I may have lost.

We all need a recipe for joy.

Take time to think about what JOY means to you.

What is joy?  Joy is the sense of hopefulness that comes into your life and makes you see the world through innocent eyes.  It is planning small things that enhance life such as day trips and Christmas goodie bags.  Joy is the ability to see light and goodness in every situation and to not have fear and anxiety.  When joy exists, so too does an opportunity to extend beyond your current situation and have faith in something greater than yourself.

Recall a time when you felt the most JOY in your life.
What were the specifics of that moment?
Was joy temporary or sustained.

Think about the small moments in your life that you may take for granted that help create joy.
Is it a certain song?  a movie?  a Bible verse?

What has happened since your last joyful experience to block your joy?

What would you say to joy if it were an actual person?






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Comments

  1. Kim3:17 PM

    "When joy exists, so too does an opportunity to extend beyond your current situation and have faith in something greater than yourself." Well said Stacci.

    38 Special has an amazingly wise song that I find myself referring to several times a month for years now...

    Just hold on loosely
    But don't let go
    If you cling too tightly
    You're gonna lose control

    Your baby needs someone to believe in
    And a whole lot of space to breathe in

    Now of course it's a cheesy rock n roll song so substitute baby for just about anything you value and the words are worth repeating to yourself several times a month for years... at least if you're me ;)

    If it's not evident what my rambling has to do with joy, this is how I view joy and happiness, something to be valued but treated gently enough that it sticks around.

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