In 2019, I spent the year focusing on JOY. I know, I know: my blog is called “AliMcJOY” and I wrote a book about joy. But I don’t think anybody can cap the amount of joy in her life. There is no joy ceiling. So after feeling very strongly about making it my word last year, I did it. And to push myself to maintain the focus all year, I created a yearlong class and created content for every month throughout the year. I worked through each of the months alongside my fellow classmates. Because if I learned anything about joy this year, it is this: JOY is a pervasive emotion that possesses you more than you possess it. It’s also a lot like sunshine. It’s there, waiting for you to open the shades and draw back the curtains and bask in it.
And so, for 2019, I sought joy with intention.
Opening the shades and drawing back the curtains looked a whole lot like forgiving, serving, improving my habits, and not judging (to name a few). But let me tell you that it was the only way I could have survived such a hectic year! Looking back I realize that I am exhausted for good reason: 2019 was rough! We spent the first half of the year making lots of 300-mile-roundtrip-visits to my in-laws as my father-in-law fought for his life in ICUs. We spent the second half of the year in the aftermath of his death. Amidst that, we lived the intense chaos that is inevitable when five young children and two busy parents live under one roof. But as I look back at 2019, I feel peace. Because even though it was an intense year, the joy that I found as I focused on each of the monthly units enabled me to keep going. More than that, that joy propelled me forward. It made me a better, stronger version of myself.
I am profoundly grateful that I took the time to focus on joy. It was an experience that has influenced my life in so many positive ways. I am not perfect. My life is not perfect. But I am not a hopeless cause. I can keep trying and keep progressing. I want to be a little better today than I was yesterday. And when I mess up (because we all do), I can get up and keep trying because I know that I am worthy of joy. I deserve it. It is possible to increase the joy in every life–mine is no exception. And I know it is worth the effort. I know firsthand. I made a concerted effort this year and it was worth every ounce of energy! I hope that the habits I developed will carry on through this new year and evolve as I evolve, getting better and better over time.
I hope the same for you! I hope you will give yourself permission to open the shades and draw back the curtains and bask in the light that comes from JOY. I wish you joy–today and always!
Reading what you wrote about your experience with Joy last year really helped me realize what a difference your joy class made in my life and in my perspective on life. Thank you for that gift. I have felt more joy, even in this time of uncertainty, than ever before!