maximize joy

I had some difficult days during July. Some events at the beginning of the month conspired to get me down. I was riding high with all my goals at the ending of June. Then things sank. I could not handle a downswing in my performance. It’s as if I was sabotaged by my own success. I went down. With the support of my friends and God, I managed to get out of the dumps. But then I had to look at my life. What took me down? Was it because I was expecting more and more of myself every day? I looked at my goals. They were good. But I had to take a more realistic approach or I would be down again. Instead of expecting my performance to climb every day, I now expect a certain achievable level of performance. Yesterday I had what I call Renewal Day. I picked up again and went on. Sometimes you just have to get yourself back together like that. I decided to shed a relationship that was not working. That was hard, but I knew it would open my life up to better possibilities. What’s in store for me now I don’t really know, but hope is returning. Hope engenders joy. Wish me the best!

I sometimes get too rushed and forget to maximize joy. I thought about my important life goal today and felt joy coming over me. It only lasted about a minute, but I realized that this is still what gives meaning to my life. I don’t have to be caught up in the rat race of life. The Lord is still by my side. I can revisit this idea and feel joy again. I can summon joy, not by force, but by quiet reflection. It has to do with God, and of course God is where joy comes from.

With my life getting busier and busier, it’s sometimes easy to forget that one of my main goals is to maximize joy. I had a hard week this week. I left a spoon in my Vitamix and broke it. I also broke a new phone I had. A button popped off of my dress in church. I went way over budget for the month. It seems like everything was conspiring to take away my joy. But in the midst of all this I remembered the law of attraction. I remembered to think about the things I want. I was able to get the Vitamix repair covered under warranty, even though it was my fault. The phone could still be returned and I got a better one. My button can easily be sewn back onto my dress and at least I did not lose the button. I have enough money in savings to avoid going into debt. Joy! I have not gotten sick lately and I managed to get my program working on Vista. I found joy in moments of song and in just counting all of my blessings and thinking only about what I wanted. I realized that even in the midst of trials, I can still maximize joy!

I’ve always wanted to get more done in a day, but pushing myself harder and harder tends to wear me down. I think what I need to do is to maximize joy. The Law of Attraction states that seeking joy is a worthwhile goal. Apparently joy can be obtained by focusing on my deepest, most cherished desires and believing that they can be realized, trusting in the law of attraction to bring them into reality as I give them focus, thought and belief. I’ve started to live this way in the past three days and already my energy level is improving. Has anyone lived like this for years or so to know whether the feeling of joy obtained is sustainable?