SelfGrowth.comThe Self Improvement Guide
Article

Joy is a Choice - but Not an Easy Choice

Topic: JoyBy Jonathan HuiePublished Recently added

Legacy signals

Legacy popularity: 2,132 legacy views

Legacy rating: 4/5 from 2 archived votes

Of course you want to be happy, but life is hard. Your job's a pain, your family nags, and sometimes your body hurts, so how can a Joyful Life be a choice? It isn't an easy choice, but Joy IS a choice that you can make. Some choices are easy, because clearly defined alte atives are available. Choosing between vanilla and chocolate ice cream is such a choice. Other choices sometimes don't even appear to be choices. If I live in Detroit, but I would prefer to live in Florida, I may not feel that I can choose to relocate. In reality, I always have a choice about where I live. I have my story about how my job, my house, my family, and my friends prevent me from moving, but it is truly only a story. The greatest obstacle to a Joyful Life is your "story" about your life. Your story is filled with needs and obligations. You are sure that you "need" at least a certain income to live - and you likely feel that you "need" more money than you have. You "need" a "good" job. You "need" a big house. You feel obligated to do whatever your boss and your spouse ask of you. Perhaps you also feel obligated to serve your parents, children, friends, church, and more. STOP!
There is nothing I ever need to have. There is nothing I ever need to do. I say NO to the demands of the world. I say YES to the longings of my own heart. - jlh
The secret to a joyful life is Simplicity - saying NO to the advertisements for the latest this and the most glamorous that - saying NO to chasing that next job promotion - saying NO to all the stressful demands upon your time and energy. It's YOUR time - it's YOUR life - YOU get to choose how you use it. There is no way that your life is "supposed" to be. Your parents had their vision for your life. Your boss, your spouse, your church, your friends, and even the family next door have their ideas of how you should live your life. What about YOUR vision for your life? What do YOU want? YES, it matters what you want. YES you can have what you want. CHOOSE the life you want, and CHOOSE to live Joyfully.

Article author

About the Author

Visit www.DanceLightly.com to sign-up for Jonathan's Daily Inspiration email, and read his article on Happiness - 7 Secrets for a Happy Life. Jonathan Lockwood Huie is an author of self-awareness books and free inspirational email publications. He has been dubbed "The Philosopher of Happiness" by those closest to him, in recognition of his on-going commitment to seeing Joy in all of life.nn** Today is your day to dance lightly with life. It really is. - jonathan lockwood huie **

Further reading

Further Reading

4 total

Article

Feeling Down? Change Your Sad to Glad

Does it feel as if the whole world is conspiring against you? Does it seem that everything that could go wrong is going wrong right now - and is directed against you personally? You got fired. Your credit card is overdue and is in collection. The bank is foreclosing on your mortgage. Your spouse or love is leaving you. And that phone call was from the hospital informing you that a close relative just had a stroke. Is that a pretty good summary of your life recently?

Related piece

Article

Your Relationship Broke Up - What to Do?

Your relationship broke up and you are heart broken. What should you do now to heal the hurt and move on with your life? First, examine what Not to do. These are things that will make your situation worse.

Related piece

Article

How To Not Care What Other People Think About You

Do you feel conce ed over what other people think about you? Do you find yourself worried about what others say about you? While it is normal for everyone to seek the approval of others, self-confident people with a high self-esteem are able to ignore the negative opinions of others and to remain confident of their own self-worth. To become less conce ed with what people might be thinking, and less upset by negative things others may say... 1. Never guess what others might be thinking.

Related piece

Article

Feeling Alone? How to Cope with Feelings of Loneliness

Perhaps you are recently divorced or separated. Perhaps it has been a long time since you have been in a meaningful relationship. Or perhaps you are stuck in a relationship that doesn't provide you with the emotional intimacy you need. In any case, you are feeling lonely - very much alone, unloved, and unsupported. What can you do? Here are seven steps you can take to better understand and cope with your feelings of loneliness.

Related piece