The Plot To Steal Joy: Day 16
Day 16 Unfolds:
It’s been over 16 days since I started this series The Plot To Steal Joy, where I resolved to take control of my emotions and not let circumstances or people steal my joy.
I started this series during one of the toughest period in my adult life - during a very rocky time in my marriage where both my husband and I were juggling a huge transition in our lives and we were stretched beyond our capacity to handle an avalanche of problems that came crashing our way, and instead of covering and protecting each other from the assailant, we fought and attacked each other. It wasn’t that we didn’t love each other - it was because we were each overwhelmed by the barrage of challenges and ran our patience thin towards each other (to read an earlier post of one such explosion, click here).
I remembered being in Panera Bread one day and seeing a man smiling widely from ear to ear as he carried a tray of food to his wife. Something hit my heart at that point: I wanted to be joyful like this man. I wanted to be loving and caring towards my husband as this man was to his wife. I didn’t know how my marital circumstances would change for the better, but I knew that if I gained control of my own emotions and inner health, my external circumstances would change. I remembered also the famous words of Indian peace maker, Gandhi (paraphrased): “If I wanna see change in the world, let it begin with me.”
As a writer, I know the power of words. Words form our beliefs, habits and destiny. We literally shape our world with our words. So I decided to take control of my emotions by writing down my daily situation and choosing joy despite the negativity that surrounds. By writing and solidifying each day’s resolve to “steal” joy, I was changing my internal circumstances which I knew would soon spill over to my external circumstances.
Things turned around sooner than I anticipated. I’m starting to see love, patience, grace and reconciliation coming back into my marriage. All because I choose joy. All because I decided to change me; no, not change him or other people, but change me.
There are five days to go before I conclude this series on The Plot To Steal Joy and I’m excited to see what the rest of the days would bring. I’m also certain that this is just the beginning of greater life changing adventures as I continue to practice values that make me a better person in this beautiful world.
The score today? Definitely a win.
Joy: 1. Change: 1.
Hanging out in a model home which I hope one day would be mine. This is a prefabricated home built by BluHomes, located on Mare Island, Vallejo, CA. I believe in the power of vision - if you can see it, speak it, and claim it, it will soon be yours. Naive? No, I don't think so. Change begins first in our minds, and then our circumstances will change. As I sit in this model home, I'm seeing a glimpse into my future and claiming it to come to pass.