Ordinary Deep Joy
In Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly, she writes about foreboding joy, which is driven by a scarcity mindset. We go to disappointment first thinking we can beat it to the punch. So not only do we experience disappointments in life when they happen, we experience dread daily to prepare for it. No way to live.
“Scarcity and fear drive foreboding joy. We’re afraid that the feeling of joy won’t last, or that there won’t be enough, or that the transition to disappointment (or whatever is in store for us next) will be too difficult. We’ve learned that giving in to joy is, at best, setting ourselves up for disappointment and, at worst, inviting disaster. And we struggle with the worthiness issue,” she summarizes from her research.
She offers three important reminders about joy:
- Joy comes to us in moments—ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary;
- Be grateful for what you have;
- Don’t squander joy.
Embrace joy that is available to you today in ordinary moments. It is a guarantee that challenges and disappointments will happen in life. Joy and hope are the threads that pull you through those seasons.
First step to joy? Smile!
“Gratitude is one of the strongest and most transformative states of being. It shifts your perspective from lack to abundance and allows you to focus on the good in your life, which in turn pulls more goodness into your reality.” – Jen Sincero
