Keeping Our Joy Thru the Seasons of Life - Part 1

Life, like the weather, has its seasons. Some seasons are bright and sunny. And others can be dark and gloomy. If we want to keep our peace and our joy, and keep moving forward towards our destiny, we must learn how to navigate these seasons like a captain navigates his ship through choppy waters, because we know that eventually - "this too shall pass".

Smooth sailing is a time to study, to grow and to learn. Stephen Covey calls this "sharpening the sword". Tough times are when our faith is tested and we get to put it into action. Today I'm sharing on how to stay joyful during the seasons of life even when everything looks dreary and we may not be moving forward as quickly as we would like. 

If we want to be consistently joyful, we have to choose what we focus on. It is a matter of conscious decision, not a matter of our circumstances. As human beings, we have the tendency to focus on the negative - the finances, the broken relationships, the health issues, our aging bodies, etc. When we focus on the negatives, naturally we get down and depressed. This is why the apostle Paul exhorts us to:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Phil 4:8). 

We have to take responsibility for our thought life. 

When we are young, we think we have all the time in the world. We have our health and lots of energy, but we lack one thing - money. We need to get out there, get a job, earn an income. Money becomes our main focus. 

Then, we get the job. We get married, have kids and enter the "rat race" as some call it. We have the money. We have the energy, but with all the responsibilities, we lack the time to do things we like to do. We are always on the go and no time to relax and smell the roses. Not enough time becomes our main worry. 

And then we enter into "the golden years". My mom quipped recently about the term, saying she didn't feel like they were so golden. She said she felt like they were more like copper or nickel. As we age, we develop health issues. We work our entire lives to be financially secure so we have the money. When we retire, we have all the time in the world, but - we lack the energy! 

Life will never be perfect. Life, like relationships, has its seasons, the ups and downs, the peaks and valleys. If we want to stay joyful, we must choose to focus on the good things in our lives. Despite health concerns, I am focusing on the fact I am free from the 9 to 5. Despite the dreary weather, I focus on the fact that I can cook good meals and be creative with this blog. Despite family issues, I focus on God's great love for me and how he works everything for our good. Abraham Lincoln once said "People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." and he is right. We make our own happiness. We should not depend on other people or circumstances to give us joy.  

So there you have my perspective on how to stay joyful during the seasons of life. If you enjoyed this post, do sign up to receive my bi-weekly emails by entering your email address in the box provided. You'll also receive my free eguide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". 

Stay tuned for more postive and practical wisdom to help us all ignite the power within and discover YOUR destiny!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz