I Choose Joy
I’ve tried smiling more.
I’ve tried sharing more.
I’ve tried loving those who say they need it it and those who say they don’t.
I’ve tried to attract things that are full of joy by being full of joy myself.
But sometimes I’m not full of joy. Sometimes I’m full of fear, anxiety, anger, embarrassment….
When I’m full of those things, I acknowledge them by looking to the root of the feelings and determining WHY I feel those things.
And then I choose joy.
Joy does not come easy to me. I worry A LOT. I have become very much a “planner” and when things don’t fit into my big plan I get anxious. But I try not to let that get in the way. I acknowledge the feeling and I understand that's just the way I react.
And then I choose joy.
Recently while listening to the Freakonomics Podcast I heard something that really resonated with me. Guest Dan Gilbert said “I love the metaphor of rose-colored glasses. That’s the way to view the world. They’re rose-colored, meaning there is a tint. You are seeing a rosier future than we will really experience. But they’re glasses. They’re not opaque, right? They’re not blinders. You actually are seeing the world. And if there’s a train coming, it’s a little bit rose-tinted, but it’s a train.”
Meaning, stay optimistic, choose joy but also acknowledge reality. AKA don't walk around in some delusional bliss and get hit by a train.
Choosing joy isn’t about pretending there’s nothing bad happening or the world isn’t hard. It is! There’ s war, poverty, hunger, and general issues with other humans that can bring out the worse in us.
I know all of these things, but I don’t let them constantly run my life. I’ve chosen to live like this because I used to let things bring me down. When I thought of all the issues my former students and their families faced, when they spoke to me about what was happening at home, when I hear rumors or saw truths; it started to weigh me down like a horrible heavy societal weight on my shoulders. But what good am I crying in the corner? How can we help anyone if our minds are clouded with anger and resentment? Now, that doesn’t mean I ignore the issues either. I am just now aware that to love and help others we must first love and help ourselves.
And what’s the point of going through life angry and bitter? A day wasted in anger is just that- a day wasted.
So in every moment I choose joy.
I choose to do the things that make my mind, body, soul, and heart happy. I choose to spend time with people I love. I choose to be places that make me feel contentment and excitement at the same time.
I choose to see life through rose colored glasses.
I choose joy.
What do you choose?
P.S. If you don’t listen to the Freakomics podcast you should. It gets my nerd girl juices going and makes me feel smarter at dinner parties.
Here’s the link to the full transcript of the podcast with Dan Gilbert