A new year is upon us, and we encourage you to find joy for your journey.
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. God’s joy is supernatural and can remain deep and abiding even when we are in the midst of hardship. It is not the absence of pain or difficult circumstances but learning to let God’s spirit fill us with his joy, regardless of our circumstances.
Joy is a choice we can make, an attitude we can adopt, being grateful enough for our triumphs, especially the small ones. It is being content and working for things that matter and letting go of those that don’t.
Live intentionally this year and make NO resolutions. Life is too short for superficial and unrealistic goals that make us feel like a failure when life happens and the resolution does not.
There are many ways to find joy or add joy to our lives — celebrate the small and ordinary things in our daily life. Set aside comparison and self-criticism — it has been said that comparison is the thief of joy.
Stay grateful — reflecting on our daily blessings and finding gratitude in them can change our lives … and laugh at least once a day. Laughter helps to promote good health, lowers our blood pressure, boosts our immune systems, improves our brain function, protects our health and reduces our stress — even if you need to get a joke book from the library if you are having difficulty finding something to laugh at.
Some of us face substantial family or financial problems and some days can feel very grim. But each day and in every situation, we have a choice. We can focus on the negative OR we can try to squeeze as much joy as possible from every moment.
If you simply must make a resolution for this New Year then smile more and watch joy fill your heart.
Jayne Dwyer-Reff, RN,
School Nurse