Always up for fun

If we don’t change our habits of thinking to match the new landscape, we’re going to miss the joy we could be having now despite our current circumstances.

The coronavirus pandemic has settled in everywhere.  In an effort to stop the contagion, emergency measures now keep many at home.  And some don’t need to spend much time at home before cabin fever sets in.

Then there are the drolls — those who insist on trolling through the dreary wastelands of depression.  Drolls don’t keep their dismay to themselves; after all, misery loves company.  Their negative energy saps positive energy from everyone around them.  And you need about five positive messages to balance out the effect of just one negative message.

Regardless of your level of resiliency, you’ll eventually succumb to whatever messages you hear often enough.  That’s why I’ve long spoken about the need to mind your self-talk, because many of us habitually give negative messages to ourselves.  We are in many ways our own worst enemy.

But you can still own your life.  You can still take responsibility for yourself and the results you have in your life.  And today is the perfect opportunity to do just that because today is April Fool’s Day.  Now, I’ll admit social distancing and sequestering have radically changed the landscape.  But a change in landscape should never signal us to surrender positive energy.  Now more than ever we should be always up for fun.

Change your habits of thinking

Many people don’t associate staying at home with fun.  They think about going out to restaurants, stores, malls, parks, concert venues, and the like.  Many of us approach April Fool’s Day the same way, conjuring images of practical jokes played on people and often in front of other people.

But that was yesterday.  Today the landscape is different.  We need to practice social distancing and sequester ourselves in our homes as much as possible.  And those who refuse to change their thinking to match this new landscape will experience untold and unnecessary hardship.

Long time listeners to this program are familiar with these principles in relation to helping LDS singles find joy regardless of their circumstances.  For example, many singles who leave YSA land without getting married experience a difficult transition into SA world.  Some don’t even transition; they go inactive or leave the Church altogether.

That’s because their YSA thinking doesn’t match the new SA landscape, and they simply respond to their biological hardwiring which encourages them to maintain the status quo.  They keep thinking the same way, and that just leads them to leave.  But if these singes would change their thinking to match their new landscape, they could experience a greater amount of joy despite their circumstances.

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Look for opportunity

Because the pandemic hasn’t changed our biological hardwiring, we all have the same effect playing itself out.  People habitually thought they could go out and do whatever.  Now the landscape has changed.  But just because the landscape changes doesn’t mean our habits change also.

In fact, we usually keep our habits despite changes in our external world.  So if we don’t change our habits of thinking to match the new landscape, we’re going to miss the joy we could be having now despite our current circumstances.

We can begin to capture much of the joy we’ve been missing by owning our lives and looking for the opportunity amidst the obstacle.  I demonstrated that attitude this morning in my Daily Dose video.  Is it cheesy and silly?  Absolutely.  And that’s OK, because I refused to let my current situation keep me from having a spot of fun.

You too can refuse to allow your current situation to keep you from experiencing joy amidst adversity.  You can still celebrate April Fools Day.  Will it be the same?  Of course not.  But joy is still joy, no matter how it comes.

Own your life

Presented with this knowledge, each of us now confronts this question: Will you own your life?  Or put another way, will you take responsibility for the results you experience in your life?  Will you refuse to allow your circumstances to dictate your attitude and perspective?

I choose to own my life.  My circumstances will be what they will be, but they will never dictate my choices.  I choose to live with intention, not on autopilot.  I choose to produce more than I consume, not just consume.  I choose phenomenal, not mediocre.  I choose life, not death.  I choose faith, not fear.  I choose hope, not despair.  I choose love, not hate.  I choose joy, not sorrow.

And so can you.  Decide today you will own your life.  Decide that no matter your circumstances you will be always up for fun.  Then follow through with that decision by taking advantage however you can of the moments for fun that come your way.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.

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You can listen to the monologue from today's episode of Joy In The Journey Radio here.  Please also feel free to continue the conversation by leaving a comment below.  Want to hear more?  Listen to the whole show by going to the show page for this episode.