In today’s GMWK (Get Merry With Kari), I am going to share my joy injectors. The things that I do that lead to one thing- JOY! Hopefully you have a few things that you do that always spark joy. If not, it’s time to find some and implement them… STAT! Here we go…
STACK JOY IN THE MORNING
Prioritize your morning. Start your mornings in a way that leads to more good things. Don’t compare your mornings with others. What you do to inject joy in your mornings should be completely unique to you.
I *MUST* begin my day with movement. Exercise leads me to joy. Do I always want to workout? No. Am I always grumpy when I choose not to? Yes. I know this about me. My husband knows this about me.
I *MUST* read my bible every morning while sipping my homemade vanilla latte. These things are non-negotiable to me. Sitting in my specific chair, in my workout clothes, listening to the bible app read aloud to me while sipping my latte is about as joyful as my soul gets.
DEAD TIME JOY
There are areas in my life that are dead time. A few are… driving in a car, waiting in a pick up line, walking my dog. I covet these times for one reason, music/podcasts. Instead of dreading these time killers, I love them. I can use the time to listen to worship music, Taylor Swift, or listen to fun, uplifting podcasts.
LOOK PAST THE OBVIOUS
Over the last couple years, I have been working really hard to change the filter in which I see my world. Instead of looking at a kitchen disaster. I now see that my healthy family just ate a yummy meal that will serve them well. When I see the MOUNTAIN of clean laundry, I see the immense blessing that my kids have clothes to wear and that I was blessed with a precious family to clothe. Honestly, this filter checks our natural instinct to be selfish and bitter, flips it to be turning to GOD and thanking Him for blessing you with things you spent years dreaming of having. So look past the obvious and see the blessings.
SCHEDULE JOY
Some joy isn’t spontaneous. Sometimes you have to put joy on your calendar. I love the change of seasons, so I schedule a day at the very start of a season change (September 1 for example) and go to Hobby Lobby over lunch just to see all the decor and get in my feels. I don’t spend money (usually), but I just feel energized and excited for the next chapter.
These could be nail appointments, a walk in your favorite park, or a coffee date with a friend (or yourself). It can be a splurge or no cost at all. All that matters is you are making joy a part of your schedule.
BE JOY TO FEEL JOY
Sometimes joy comes so naturally and you have it spades. Other times, joy can be very elusive. You can’t seem to grab hold of it, let alone keep it. If you are in that “funk,” try being the joy. What I mean is, instead of finding joy for yourself, try being joy for others around you. Type a thoughtful comment on a friend’s post, take a minute to give everyone in your family a quick hug and kiss, or bring in a tasty treat to the office. Create joy for others- seeing their joy will help you find it for yourself. Your light will reflect back on you.
I hope this GMWK inspires you to inject more joy into your world. Joy is part of God’s will for our lives. Joy is all over scripture, it is important to God. So let’s make joy important to us.
You give me JOY!
Right back at ya!! 🙂