How can we find joy when it is so easy to find the bad stuff and focus on the negative?
In a talk given by one the the leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I found this quote printed in the Ensign in the April 2000 issue;
HOW IS IT WITH US? by M.
Russell Ballard
"As we press forward in His service, spiritual
experiences will increase our faith, and we will find great joy."
So we can find joy in service. Serving others can bring satisfaction and joy. There are many ways to serve others;
- Help someone with groceries, mowing the lawn, window washing, etc...
- Volunteer.
- Be someone's friend and just listen to them.
- Help someone learn a new skill.
There are other ways we can find joy in life;
- Play with the kids or grand-kids.
- Enjoy nature by watching a sunset, taking a walk, or learn to appreciate the beauty in nature.
- Dance or just listen to uplifting music.
- Let go once in a while and be a kid.
- Laugh
- Free yourself of the things of this world that weigh you down (they are just things) and things you just don't need.
- Appreciate the things, trials (you really don't want others trials) and people you have in your life (count your blessings).
- Meditate.
- Pray daily that you may find joy in your day.
- Forgive yourself and others of misdeeds and mistakes.
- Spend quality time with the ones you love.
- Find you "happy thought".
- Attend church services regularly.
We are here on this earth to experience life. Part of life is suffering but part of life is also to have joy.
If we focus on the negative, we will be negative, sad, cranky and depressed people. We have to shift our focus from the negative and all the bad that happens in life to the positive. While we all have bad things happen to us, how we deal with those bad things determines how we come out in the end. We don't have to dwell on the bad things we can find comfort and solace in Christ.
In a talk given by James E. Faust entitled,
"He Healeth the Broken in Heart", Ensign, July 2005, 2–7 he states,
"We find solace in Christ through the agency of the
Comforter, and the Savior extends this invitation to us: “Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The Apostle
Peter speaks of “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” As
we do this, healing takes place, just as the Lord promised through the prophet
Jeremiah when He said: “I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort
them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. … I have satiated the weary
soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”"
I have spent a lot of time in my life being depressed and I even drug my family down with me and I am truly sorry for that. I found in going to therapy all the counselors did is let you focus on the negative as much as you wanted to. It was like going down a dark tunnel, the deeper you went, the darker it got. The more I talked about it, the more I focused on it, then the more depressed I became. Then one day something caused me to stop and think, do I really want to keep going down this path or do I want to have joy in my life. I chose to bring joy into my life. So I ditched the therapist and decided the only way to get out was to change my attitude. I had to change it to an attitude of love, forgiving and gratefulness. You have to focus on others not yourself, because if you are focused on others and their needs you, for a time, forget about yourself and your problems and even sometimes your needs are met by service to others.
It has not been easy trying to stay focused on the positive and have joy in the little things in life and not let the negative get to me. I grew up in a home where there was no joy and I did not learn the skills I needed as an adult to stay positive when trials came my way. But with the love and support of several wonderful people in my life (Nathalie Bowman, + Kimberlie Casselman, Anna & Pete Christensen, and Michelle Naert) I have been able to more fully appreciate life and to remember to focus on the positive and see that there is joy in life.
