How do you find joy when the world is filled with sadness? I recently received a text from my very dear friend asking, “why is there no love in the world?” to which I responded, “what do you mean?” and she went on to explain that there is no joy, no love, so much hatred. Even when you read a positive and uplifting post on social media, there is at least one negative comment. Our daily exposure to the internet, the news, our own lives may lead us to sadness. How do we find joy in all of it?
I agree there is so much negativity in the world. The year 2020 has definitely brought its share of negativity and gloom to the world as a whole. How do we then go about managing all of the negative experiences?
Find Joy in The Simple Things
The world has become so small, with people sharing every bit of their life online. Watching other people’s lives unfold, we become envious and begin to dissect our own life; and conclude that our life and daily experiences are all insignificant. By observing the “exciting” lives of others, we then admire them and want what they have. The cars, the shoes, the bags, the perfectly behaved, well dressed, and always put together kids.
We then make it our lives mission to have a “good life” and convince ourselves that acquiring “stuff” will lead us to joy.
Finding joy in our lives is as simple as appreciating the simple things around as. Andy Warhol said it best:
You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.”
As I listened to my friend discuss the displeasures of life, I began to remind her of all of the little joys, like the love of a child, her patients, the feeling that shows up when someone gives her a good, genuine compliment, the assurance that comes from her relationship with God.
For each of us, some things make us happy. Each day our lives are filled with little things that, when combined, make a big difference. When you consider the small moments of life, they are usually so minor and seem so insignificant, but they make the most lasting impact.
“Find joy in the little things in life…for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things”
When times of uncertainty and sadness surrounds you, find joy in the smallest and simplest of things in your life.
Enjoy the Moments.
Life is uncertain most of the time, but one thing remains constant, change. Change is sure to happen, and the moments of our lives pass by whether we like it or not.
My children give me joy, having my husband as my life partner. My team at work, who each and everyday counsel individuals who are homeless or women who are fleeing domestic violence, helping them to find stability, helps me to see good in humanity. When my daughter sends me an “I love you” text or celebrating a milestone with a loved one, having a drink with a girlfriend, etc.
“Enjoy this moment…This moment is your life”
Enjoy the moments, regardless of its temporary nature. Yes, the joy from a child’s hug or time with friends may be fleeting, enjoy it. Although we would prefer to have that fuzzy feeling for much longer, they are not lasting. So enjoy the moments, appreciate them for what they are, recognize them for what they give to you, even for a short moment.
What are things in your life that you must do each day? are these things that you look forward to doing? Make the moments you spend doing those things enjoyable. Like I MUST drink coffee every single day; I look forward to my first sip of coffee, so I decided to cherish my morning coffee, I make my coffee, sit outside and enjoy the quietness and the sweet aroma of coffee.
Find joy in your favorite meals, or your commute, in making breakfast, or ordering lunch. Find the things you enjoy doing and savor the moments you spend doing them. Turn simple moments into memories of pleasure.
The Memories are Forever
Research has shown that maintaining positive memories generate positive emotions and provide a safe way to manage our thoughts.
Nothing lasts forever, but the memories we make do. So, why not focus on the memories? When you are having a stressful day, consider changing your perspective and refocusing your mind on the things that bring you joy. A loved one, a pet, a job, a client, your favorite dress, music, coffee? If you have not yet figured out what the little joys in your life are, then take the time to determine those now.
thanks for exploring this topic with me
Idara.
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14 Comments
Sandra
Thank you for sharing! I totally agree how important is to be present in the moment and actually be mindful of what you do 🙂 Even if it’s having a cup of coffee in the morning – it is possible to make it an enjoyable daily experience 🙂
Karletta Marie
Great article about an important topic. Main-stream media publishes bad news, sensationalized stories because people keep reading them. And it’s making them miserable.
The thing is there are so many good, wonderful things happening right now. If we all opened our minds and hearts to the joys you’re talking about here in your article, and said “no” to the extreme media headlines (that often do not reflect the real majority) then maybe they would publish better stuff and we’d see a positive impact to mental health and an increase in joy.
The project Daily Inspired Life, is dedicated to publishing the true, real stories of everyday people doing what they do best – the stories are inspiring, positive, uplifting – yet, I’ll admit an audience for good news is harder to find than the bad news (and people wonder why they are miserable).
Thanks for sharing the positive – we need more of this in our feeds.
Brenda
Hi it’s Brenda from RubyHemMinistries.com I’ve been working hard to stay in the moment / be present / whatever you’d like to call it and when I do I’m able to find more things that make me thankful throughout my day.
Mary
Beautiful post!! Too often I worry about the big things, that I miss out on the beauty of the small things. Thank you for this!!
Nishtha
This is a beautiful post, thank you for sharing. Yes find beauty in small things and make memories in the present!
Carletta Shannon
Thank you so much for this post. It is so true that we need to be able to gain enjoyment from our everyday experiences. I find that this message is especially poignant right now.
Maria Black
This is a very needed post for sure! Thank you for sharing your perspective-we need to focus on the good if we’re going to make it through this time
Puja Kumari
Absolutely correct, we should enjoy every small moments. Thank you for this gentle reminder:)
Melissa
Life has been tough lately here with the loss of a family member, due to cancer. Thank you for this! It’s a great reminder!
Nikki
Hi Melissa, so sorry to hear about the loss of your family member. Thanks for reading the post and I hope it brought you some peace.
Ashten
Yes! I completely agree with all of these points! Such a positive message to bring to those suffering from the sadness of the world. We definitely need to embrace the little joys and moments of our every day lives. Thank you for sharing!
Jennifer Kalchik
Thank you for these wise words.
Jennie
Thank you for this excellent reminder. Something we all need to hear!
Hannah Siller
In times like this it’s easy to get caught up fearing for the future or wishing for the past. But we are missing the present and not making it worthwhile. Good reminder