Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Who Stole Your Joy?

 

It's always something, right? Something agitating. Something aggravating. Something upsetting. Something unsettling. Something uncomfortable to deal with. Indeed, the "joy thieves" arrive on a daily basis, and they hijack our joy.

Well, you don't have to give it up, not so easily anyway. You need your peace. You need your sanity. You need your sense of well-being. You need to maintain your joy. Here are a few suggestions on how you can do just that with some "adjustments":

Adjust mentally:THINK. All kinds of things are going to happen out of nowhere and unexpectedly. Will it help at all to respond with dismay, criticism and anger? No, it won't. So, instead, try using common sense responses to the "occurrences" and trouble-shoot them wisely. Think about exactly what you need to do to gain ground before the joy robber wins the territory. Is it a call you need to make? Is it an explanation you need to provide? Is there an action you need to take? Do you need to correct something? Do you need to lay low until the situation settles itself? If any of these approaches work, and they save you from yourself and the joy thief, do it.

Adjust your attitude: STAY COOL. Does waiting annoy you? Does bad customer service get under your skin? Do your co-workers constantly stir up drama? Do you find yourself wanting to pull your hair out over things both big and small? Those robbers are stealing your joy.

Make a big decision to stay cool. Be adamant about keeping your composure under the pressures of the day. Make every effort to keep your head on and straight when things get twisted. These daily common issues are going to happen, and how you handle them is everything. Handle them by staying cool, calm and collected. Your efforts will prove themselves with great results, and your joy will stay in tact.

Adjust emotionally: REACT the "RIGHT" way. Will it help to yell and scream about it? Will it help anything if you retaliate against others for what they do or didn't do? We often put ourselves at risk when we don't keep our emotions under control. Many negative consequences occur when we don't react in a "right" way for the circumstance or situation. 

When you hold back your negative emotional responses, it gives you time to assess and make a better choice about how to react. Once you explode, your potential for keeping your joy is shot, and you may have killed the joy of others involved as well. "Emotional Intelligence" is a key factor in keeping peace and balance in your life. When you choose your battles wisely and with a cool head, you will always choose joy as a result. ~ S.R.F.

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