Ever given any thought to what controls your joy? I would like you to be open to the idea that maybe there are some things that are destroying your joy that you are not aware of. Maybe it’s the constant feeling of needing more; that could mean more popularity, more influence, more money, more friends, more followers, more connections. There seems to be this constant pressure, heightened by social media to always accomplish things, but what’s the point if you can’t appreciate what you have achieved because you always want more? The only thing I am praying for more of these days, is MORE JOY.
I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Over the years joy has become a priority for me. The conclusion I have come to, is that joy is a point of view, joy is a way of looking at things. Joy is a focus before it’s a feeling, you can’t chase feelings.
It might be cliché but nothing kills joy like comparison. The life that you own could be so much more beautiful and enjoyable, if only you weren’t constantly looking around and comparing it to others while you are living it. I urge you to release the need to keep up, instead radically trust the path you are on. Enjoy the good things you have in your life and know more good things are in store for you; good things will not pass you by.
Another destroyer of joy is looking to the past, but the gift of joy comes in the present and in presence. Quoting Psalm 30:5 “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (I went to a catholic school, so I am familiar with the Bible). Ever noticed certain issues or situations feel more stressful at night time, sometimes the morning brings with it a fresh perspective. Rest gives us patience, reserves we lacked the day before. But these aren’t joy, they are means of coping and processing. It is something deeper, something more profound. And it comes with more than a good night’s sleep.
Joy comes with the dawn, joy comes with the dawning of a new season of life, joy comes with the light of hope and a future, joy comes when we can see God at work by the light of a new day. Circumstances do not change overnight most of the time and neither do our lives and hearts. We change over time. We see more over time.
Sometimes we want to give up, but we know that if we keep looking we might see something, anything. And then dawn comes, faintly at first, then with growing light. Suddenly, we realise that morning is slowly dawning. And joy comes with the morning.
The author is a consultant and coach. Instagram handle: @miss_shefa, Website: missshefa.com
Shefa Ali
