Joy Series - Avoiding situations that steal your joy
Imagine living in a certain neighborhood with only two streets that lead to your school or your workplace. One of the streets is completely safe, smooth roads, easy to drive and the other one is filled with obstacles, potholes, crime and extremely dangerous. To access the place, you want to go to, which route would you choose? Under normal circumstances, you would choose the safe route as opposed to the minefield of unnecessary clashes that could come with the dangerous territory. Ultimately, it comes down to your choice.
In the pursuit of joy, there is a need to realize that life does not automatically become a bed of roses when you make deliberate choices to be happy. There will be many situations that will threaten the progress you make to maintain that joy. It comes with the complexity of life. However, with the power of choice comes the realization that you can always walk away from situations that will steal your joy. It will require you to avoid whatever has the potential to disturb your peace like it’s the plague.
When people or circumstances steal your joy, they rob you of your peace of mind and focus. Life can become cumbersome, so it is important to avoid any situation that can diminish your joy.
Things that could threaten to steal your joy.
The list of things that could threaten your newfound determination to be happy is endless. Triggers that eliminate progress made are unique to each individual based on patterns that can be traced as far back as childhood. It could be fear, doubt, or issues to do with self-esteem. It could be naysayers around you, ridiculing your lifestyle, or mocking any habits that you employ in maintaining your joy. It could be people who are over-dependent on you to bring them happiness at the expense of your own. It could be stressful situations in the workplace or at home with loved ones. It could come in the form of media, with constant reports that can dampen your spirit.
The important thing is being on the alert to the existence of such triggers that could easily derail the progress made in finding out what makes you happy and in maintaining that happiness.
How to avoid situations that steal your joy.
As alluded to earlier, it takes determination to maintain your joy regardless of the circumstances that are equally determined to keep you miserable. Taking the route of avoidance is much safer than confrontation where it can be avoided. It’s much easier to avoid the obstructions on the bad street than to risk putting yourself in harms’ way.
The first step is to be convinced that it is important to stay positive and joyful. With that conviction, it’s easy to tune out voices that mock your methods of pursuing a life full of joy. Your happiness can be stolen when people make you second guess yourself, attacking your self-esteem and making you doubt yourself. Keeping as much distance from such toxic people is acceptable and highly recommended as they are bound to drain your very energy.
It also helps to eliminate people that are selfish enough to place their happiness as a greater priority to yours because balanced relationships require effort on either side. It might hurt to cut such people off but it is always to your best interest in the long run because needy people are also detrimental to your mental health and ultimately to your peace.
You can also avoid situations that steal your joy by constantly affirming yourself and the choices you make. It helps to change lenses on how you see or handle yourself. It does not leave room for inevitable criticism from others to dampen your chances of being happy.
Another thing to work on that can steal joy is fear which often leads to worry and anxiety, anathemas to happiness. We all battle with fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, fear of what other people think. Dealing with fear often involves being positive as opposed to projecting negativity on issues. It involves observing how fear can dominate the way you talk and act and be deliberate in changing both. It may involve changing what you feed your mind on or put your focus on, including the media you allow yourself to engage in, especially if it promotes fear. To defeat fear you have to believe that all things will work out for good at the end. If you are to be spiritual, that belief is called faith and is the only sure way to defeat fear.
Choosing to avoid situations that steal your joy is vital in maintaining that joy. We cannot stop situations from threatening the progress we make. They come as an unwanted package in the very life that we cherish. Choosing to avoid what steals happiness is as deliberate as finding joy in the first place. It takes determination and resilience, both of which are required in maintaining a life full of joy.