Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Protect Your JOY


Oh, they're out there. No matter how "safe" you think you are, they are still out there and they are waiting to steal from you.
 
I'm talking about the people and the thoughts around you every single day that are out to steal your JOY.
 
Sometimes the thoughts are there because we have allowed them to be there. And, there are times that the thoughts are there because of people (joy robbers) that have been a part of putting them there.
 
Just as you lock your doors at night and maybe even set an alarm, so you should be as dedicated to protecting your mind and mindset from the negativity that would steal away your JOY.
 
The series that I just completed in the last podcast speaks to this very thing. There are things that we MUST be doing in order to keep focused on what CAN BE rather than what IS. Many times we allow our current circumstances (even if it's only an hour or two out of our day) to keep us from looking BEYOND what is, to what CAN be.
 
And, in the process, when we get "bogged down" in the struggles, we may lose our joy.
 
And, friend, let's just be real here for a moment, o.k.? There are also people that seem to get THEIR joy from stealing YOUR joy, right?
 
Some are acquaintances that cross your path most every day and then there are those that are supposed to be closest to you. The ones closest to you are the ones that seem to hurt the most because you feel (rightly so) that THEY are the ones that should be your strongest advocates instead of being some of the ones that try to steal your joy.
 
But friend, you can stop it and you can prevent it from happening. Yes, you can PROTECT your joy!
 
Unlike the graphic above, we cannot allow others to cause us to just "lock up tight" and "shut down". Too many simply stop living as a way to keep from getting hurt. In reality, that is a direct way that you are being hurt and allowing others to hurt you more than they should.
 
Protect your mind and your joy? Absolutely! But what is required is for you to guard your mind by what you allow INTO your mind. THIS is what determines your mindset.
 
Do you want to really stop "joy robbers" in their tracks? Be DETERMINED that you will not allow any one or anything to stop you from being joyful today! That's right. I know it may sound too simple or impossible but, friend, it is not!
 
I've shared with you before how my wife has faced such issues in the workplace but was determined to not allow this as part of her experience. She REFUSED to give in to that mindset and made a decision that SHE would have an impact on THEM instead.
 
And it has worked every time.
 
It's YOUR mind, YOUR mindset and YOUR joy. Protect it, preserve it and promote it and see what begins to happen in your life.
 
And, as you do so, always be sure to...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike
 
 

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