Alyssa Mack
Protecting Our Joy
“Don’t worry, be happy.” That’s what we’re told when we are upset. Yet, it can be hard to actually do it. How can we be without a worry in today’s cold world? How could we possibly be happy when it seems like everything around us is falling apart? What can we do to find serenity and genuine joy in a world that feels like it never stops? The reality is, each individual can find joy and serenity in today’s society. Serenity and joy are gifts of inner peace that Jesus worked relentlessly to give us. God doesn’t give us dreams, visions, and second chances to watch them die. When we allow our excuses, sorrows, and negative thoughts to cloud our minds, we allow that very thing to occur. We always have the choice to find the light in every situation. We must learn to appreciate the bumps in the road, grow from them, and remain positive. Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude will determine the way you will live your life.
When you walk around today, it is very likely that you will see many unhappy people. That is because we tend to lack one simple thing: positive thinking. A study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that women who had optimistic mindsets had a reduced chance of dying from numerous major causes of death — including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection — over an eight-year period, compared with women who weren’t positive and optimistic. In an article by Dr. Gregory Bottaro called “10 Keys to Happiness According to Pope Francis”, he advised that we constantly go after our peace. When we think negatively, we are giving up the inner peace that Jesus worked so hard to give us. Something that I have observed more and more as I continue to mature, is the amount of people, young and matured, who choose to make excuses for not being happy. Instead of choosing to see the positive in every situation, they allow the negative to outweigh their emotions. I often hear, “Today is going to be a bad day because of this,” or “I can’t be happy because of that.” I’ve even heard more destructive comments like, “Death is going to find me soon.” The sad thing is, these people are unaware of how harmful their words are to their own good. It is disheartening to see how much of today’s society dwells in darkness. Att the end of the day, we have to remember that our blessings outweigh our problems. Finding serenity in our lives may seem like a hard task, however, it’s not as tough as it may seem. It’s about holding onto the things that matter, and letting go of the negative things that don’t. If we truly value ourselves the way that we say we do, we must learn to fight for our happiness. The Bible tells us that, “The tongue has the power of life and death.”(Proverbs 18:21) The choice is yours. You can either speak words of life that will build you up or words of death that will tear you down.
If you think that there is no way possible for you to be happy because of the circumstances that have occurred in your life, think again. You may feel alone in your gloom because it looks as if everyone else is happy, but that is not the case. Everyone fights battles behind closed doors. In an article titled, “A Revolution in Happiness”, Adriana Cavarero stated, “public happiness is not permanent and definite.” There are times where we may feel like finding joy and serenity is impossible, but that is normal, and it is perfectly fine. We must have those gloomy moments in our lives to appreciate the joyous ones. A good example of this is someone we all know: Oprah Winfrey. She may be one of the most successful women in the world today, but she battled through hard times, just like you. She suffered sexual abuse from several family members which began when she was only ten years old. Shortly after her fourteenth birthday she became pregnant, but lost her baby boy soon after giving birth. She harbored this painful secret for years until a relative shared her story with the press in 1990. Learning from the trauma, she found her serenity. Oprah was an honors student in high school, earned a full scholarship for college, and is now a woman that millions look up to and admire. Apply this to your life. Your broken situation cannot compare to the beautiful peace waiting for you. It will grant you an abundance of joy. The Bible says, “My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
Lastly, our actions effect our serenity, and vice versa. The Bible warns us of “Seven Deadly Sins” which include lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. A 2009 study by a Jesuit scholar said that the most commonly confessed deadly sin was lust for men. For women, it was pride. Sometimes, we take part in these sins without noticing them, but we have to be careful. When our actions are negative and have impure motives, we will begin to see negativity in our lives. Negativity is an ongoing cycle. On the other hand, we have been gifted with seven virtues that will produce positivity. These virtues are chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility. Just like negativity, positivity is an ongoing cycle. Butremember, staying positive doesn’t mean that you must be happy all the time. It means that even on your hard days, you look forward to the better ones that are coming. I can recall the beginning of my freshman year in high school being one of the most dark and painful moments, mentally, that I have been in. It was hard for me to get out of bed, to look forward to exciting events, and to even laugh at the funniest jokes. I felt sad, hopeless, secluded, and lost. I was stuck. Over the course of those months, others began to notice it, too. Although I’m not sure how, one day, something clicked. I had figured out one thing that would give me joy: bringing joy to others. Although I felt as if darkness filled and surrounded me, I put my effort into making others happy. I used the ongoing cycle of positivity. I was a light to others and that light came back to me in return. Eventually, I found my joy again. Any darkness that you have experienced can be the light that carries others. Famous author, Zig Ziglar, once said, “Be helpful. When you see a person without a smile, give them yours.” The Bible says, “You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lamp stand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
During tough times, it can be easy to allow ourselves to dwell in the negativity around us. We often feel misunderstood, lost, and alone. We have to remember that this is only a page written in the great book that has been written for our lives. You may not enjoy it all, but you have to keep going. You have to go through, meet every character, and read each line. We can’t always skip to the good part of the story. Everything will make sense one day. Whether it be from research, the testimonies of others, or from God’s word, please remember that your positivity will define you. It will take you a long way. Your mind is such a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive things, things will start to change. All hope is not lost. So for now, laugh at your mistakes, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything really does happen for a reason. Be someone who makes yourself happy. And if you can’t do it for yourself, be the person to someone else that you needed most during your times of weakness. Your good energy is contagious. It will always find its way back to you. Be present in this very moment and take in the good in your life. To finish, here are three tips to keep you going.Number one: focus on your reason why. When you can’t seem to find progress, focus on your reason why. Number two: Find the change, any change. Everyone loses faith sometimes. Don’t let one goal consume your thoughts to the point where you are distracted and miss out on everything that is unfolding in your favor. Last, but not least, number three: Give yourself credit for not giving up. It’s a tough world that we live in but, you have made it so far. You have invested so much time. Don’t give up now. Keep hanging on. Remember, the light is just around the corner.
Protecting Our Joy
“Don’t worry, be happy.” That’s what we’re told when we are upset. Yet, it can be hard to actually do it. How can we be without a worry in today’s cold world? How could we possibly be happy when it seems like everything around us is falling apart? What can we do to find serenity and genuine joy in a world that feels like it never stops? The reality is, each individual can find joy and serenity in today’s society. Serenity and joy are gifts of inner peace that Jesus worked relentlessly to give us. God doesn’t give us dreams, visions, and second chances to watch them die. When we allow our excuses, sorrows, and negative thoughts to cloud our minds, we allow that very thing to occur. We always have the choice to find the light in every situation. We must learn to appreciate the bumps in the road, grow from them, and remain positive. Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude will determine the way you will live your life.
When you walk around today, it is very likely that you will see many unhappy people. That is because we tend to lack one simple thing: positive thinking. A study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that women who had optimistic mindsets had a reduced chance of dying from numerous major causes of death — including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection — over an eight-year period, compared with women who weren’t positive and optimistic. In an article by Dr. Gregory Bottaro called “10 Keys to Happiness According to Pope Francis”, he advised that we constantly go after our peace. When we think negatively, we are giving up the inner peace that Jesus worked so hard to give us. Something that I have observed more and more as I continue to mature, is the amount of people, young and matured, who choose to make excuses for not being happy. Instead of choosing to see the positive in every situation, they allow the negative to outweigh their emotions. I often hear, “Today is going to be a bad day because of this,” or “I can’t be happy because of that.” I’ve even heard more destructive comments like, “Death is going to find me soon.” The sad thing is, these people are unaware of how harmful their words are to their own good. It is disheartening to see how much of today’s society dwells in darkness. Att the end of the day, we have to remember that our blessings outweigh our problems. Finding serenity in our lives may seem like a hard task, however, it’s not as tough as it may seem. It’s about holding onto the things that matter, and letting go of the negative things that don’t. If we truly value ourselves the way that we say we do, we must learn to fight for our happiness. The Bible tells us that, “The tongue has the power of life and death.”(Proverbs 18:21) The choice is yours. You can either speak words of life that will build you up or words of death that will tear you down.
If you think that there is no way possible for you to be happy because of the circumstances that have occurred in your life, think again. You may feel alone in your gloom because it looks as if everyone else is happy, but that is not the case. Everyone fights battles behind closed doors. In an article titled, “A Revolution in Happiness”, Adriana Cavarero stated, “public happiness is not permanent and definite.” There are times where we may feel like finding joy and serenity is impossible, but that is normal, and it is perfectly fine. We must have those gloomy moments in our lives to appreciate the joyous ones. A good example of this is someone we all know: Oprah Winfrey. She may be one of the most successful women in the world today, but she battled through hard times, just like you. She suffered sexual abuse from several family members which began when she was only ten years old. Shortly after her fourteenth birthday she became pregnant, but lost her baby boy soon after giving birth. She harbored this painful secret for years until a relative shared her story with the press in 1990. Learning from the trauma, she found her serenity. Oprah was an honors student in high school, earned a full scholarship for college, and is now a woman that millions look up to and admire. Apply this to your life. Your broken situation cannot compare to the beautiful peace waiting for you. It will grant you an abundance of joy. The Bible says, “My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
Lastly, our actions effect our serenity, and vice versa. The Bible warns us of “Seven Deadly Sins” which include lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. A 2009 study by a Jesuit scholar said that the most commonly confessed deadly sin was lust for men. For women, it was pride. Sometimes, we take part in these sins without noticing them, but we have to be careful. When our actions are negative and have impure motives, we will begin to see negativity in our lives. Negativity is an ongoing cycle. On the other hand, we have been gifted with seven virtues that will produce positivity. These virtues are chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility. Just like negativity, positivity is an ongoing cycle. Butremember, staying positive doesn’t mean that you must be happy all the time. It means that even on your hard days, you look forward to the better ones that are coming. I can recall the beginning of my freshman year in high school being one of the most dark and painful moments, mentally, that I have been in. It was hard for me to get out of bed, to look forward to exciting events, and to even laugh at the funniest jokes. I felt sad, hopeless, secluded, and lost. I was stuck. Over the course of those months, others began to notice it, too. Although I’m not sure how, one day, something clicked. I had figured out one thing that would give me joy: bringing joy to others. Although I felt as if darkness filled and surrounded me, I put my effort into making others happy. I used the ongoing cycle of positivity. I was a light to others and that light came back to me in return. Eventually, I found my joy again. Any darkness that you have experienced can be the light that carries others. Famous author, Zig Ziglar, once said, “Be helpful. When you see a person without a smile, give them yours.” The Bible says, “You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lamp stand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
During tough times, it can be easy to allow ourselves to dwell in the negativity around us. We often feel misunderstood, lost, and alone. We have to remember that this is only a page written in the great book that has been written for our lives. You may not enjoy it all, but you have to keep going. You have to go through, meet every character, and read each line. We can’t always skip to the good part of the story. Everything will make sense one day. Whether it be from research, the testimonies of others, or from God’s word, please remember that your positivity will define you. It will take you a long way. Your mind is such a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive things, things will start to change. All hope is not lost. So for now, laugh at your mistakes, smile through the tears, and keep reminding yourself that everything really does happen for a reason. Be someone who makes yourself happy. And if you can’t do it for yourself, be the person to someone else that you needed most during your times of weakness. Your good energy is contagious. It will always find its way back to you. Be present in this very moment and take in the good in your life. To finish, here are three tips to keep you going.Number one: focus on your reason why. When you can’t seem to find progress, focus on your reason why. Number two: Find the change, any change. Everyone loses faith sometimes. Don’t let one goal consume your thoughts to the point where you are distracted and miss out on everything that is unfolding in your favor. Last, but not least, number three: Give yourself credit for not giving up. It’s a tough world that we live in but, you have made it so far. You have invested so much time. Don’t give up now. Keep hanging on. Remember, the light is just around the corner.