joy in the journey

I think the first step to finding joy in your journey is Matthew 6:34 "Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself."

Now let me tell you, this takes practice. A LOT of it. This is something that has to be a daily decision and it definitely doesn't come naturally. Our mind naturally wants to wonder and worry about tomorrow no matter how great the now is.... and that right there is a huge thief of joy!

What moments are you missing out on due to being lost in your head worrying about the future? Something I have been really working on lately is being fully "there" in each moment. When I'm not mindful of this it's easy for me to skip over the good things I have right in front of me and totally get caught up in worrying about tomorrow. Therefore, I'm basically clouding my perspective of today with worry of the future. Just the other day I had an epiphany... I had been really concerned for weeks about what I was supposed to be doing in my life, feeling stuck, wondering if I was doing what I'm supposed to, if i'm doing enough. The list goes on. When I actually sat back and looked at my life and all the things I am doing/experiencing it was everything I've felt like I wanted for a fulfilling life. But instead of enjoying those things that were right in front of me I was busy trying to plan for the future and make sure I was doing all that I should be to get me there. Wherever "there" even is....

I literally have everything that I need in life to be able to enjoy my personal goals, as in love, connection, adventure yet I can so easily overlook all of that goodness by getting caught up in the concerns of tomorrow, caught up in the "what if's". What if I lose what I have? What if I'm not where I should be? Worrying about tomorrow is one of the biggest thieves of joy because we try to imagine how we will walk through things, or make it through them today when we don't yet have the understanding or the flow of underlying grace within in us that God will provide in those needed moments, so of course we can't fathom them today... which is exactly why he says don't worry about tomorrow! It is a waste of time and a huge distraction from the good we have sitting right in front of us!

And by the way.. changing the way your brain thinks is a real thing. For you crazies (I was a crazy) who think you will just always worry about everything, nu uh. You don’t have to!

Neuroplasticity.. have you heard of it?? You can actually change the way that your mind thinks and make your naturally "worrisome" mind not be so full of worry. Isn't that so awesome?! You aren't stuck because that's the way your mind thinks. When your mind starts worrying about the future if you start to take action and remind yourself to be in the moment and not worry about tomorrow you are actually creating a new path way in your brain. Once you make that connection the more you catch yourself worrying about the future but make yourself travel the "be in the moment" path the more you're strengthening that path. Little by little your worry path is weakening and your joy in the now path is widening, therefore you have now created a "new natural way of thinking"! I think the fact that you can train your brain to think a certain way is so awesome. It gives me such hope in life because I know that I'm not stuck to one way of thinking. I'm not just a person who worries a lot. That doesn't have to be who I am if I don't want it to be. I am in control of my mind. I am in control of my emotions.

I'm coming to find in life that no matter how simple or how crazy your life looks the only thing that really matters is that you find it fulfilling today. That you find peace and happiness in it. If there's an area you are experiencing suffering talk about it. Change it. Do something to help ease it. Otherwise allow yourself to enjoy life. No it won't be perfect, and it probably won't even look like what you thought it would. But when you narrow it down to the things that truly matter to you, narrow it down to what your heart needs for fulfillment, if you can check each box... roll with it baby! You are in complete control of how you perceive things. Your perspective of things. How you look at your circumstances. You've only got one life so you better take advantage of it!

Be happy in the moment that’s enough. Each moment is all we need. Not more. -Mother Teresa