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You know, I see happiness as a
state that comes and goes
from hour to hour, you know. Happy one moment, the next
depressed, you know. But joy is something that sticks. Joy is
is a much deeper basis
of how we see the world. Joy comes from recognizing that it's not
all up to us. Too many people in our world
think it is up to them. They actually bought into this
lie there they're the ones that can
really get this done. And I think their happiness ebbs and
flows based on how well they think they're doing at that. I think joy is something that
even in the midst of pain, even in the midst of struggle,
the midst of going through unforeseen circumstances that you couldn't have
predicted or controlled,
that there's still a deeper sense that I am not
in this alone. Because of my
faith, because of Jesus - somebody who
has way more control over what's going on and the ability to
redeem and fix and solve
problems, you know, I don't have to rely on myself.
And so there's a joy that can be found in that. There's a joy that can be found I think
in having purpose
that lives outside of just my brain and
how I see the world. I'd say, too, that
I think finding joy comes when we
find our purpose. I mean, I think we're so introspective
that you know, in our
society today that really values psychoanalysis
and therapy, we, we can be very
inward-focused - just constantly in my own head saying
what is it that I'm supposed to be doing?
And am I doing, making the right choice? Am I
making the right decision? Am I doing the right meeting today? What, should
I have made that call? Did I just miss this huge opportunity? And we struggle
because we're so focused internally and we never get outside of ourselves to
recognize that
what if we put our focus on others? What if we put our focus on our meaning in
life - actually came from serving other people?
From using these gifts that God's given me? And I didn't,
it's not because I did anything special - it's just who I've been made to be. That
if I could give those away, if I could serve others with those gifts, I think
that's when I find the deepest,
greatest joy. It's not from trying to consume and
find more for me. It's for - how can I
give this away to others?