To choose joy

To choose joy

“Choosing to have joy is not naively thinking everything will be easy. It is courageously believing that there is still hope, even when things get hard.” ~Morgan Harper Nichols

Our culture often tells us that cynicism is the way to show how sophisticated and mature we are, but as I’ve watched spiritual greats like the late Desmond Tutu and Thich Nhat Hanh beam with childlike joy, I’ve come to believe that choosing joy is an act of courage and wisdom that far exceeds the easy cynicism our culture so values. How often do you choose joy even in the face of life’s hard times?

 

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Find it within

Find it within

“The confidence to prevail over any problem, the strength to overcome adversity and unbounded hope—all reside within you.” ~Daisaku Ikeda

There’s so much more within in us, but we are often so busy looking outside ourselves for what we need that never take time to look within at the riches we already have.

 

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Everything is interconnected

Everything in interconnected

“Noticing that everything is interconnected, that love and light exist amid the darkness, and that not all is lost can nourish us on our paths.” ~Rose Zonetti

In times when everything seems dark and hopeless, coming back to the truth of how interconnected everything is—including light and darkness—can help us find hope again.

Where do you find new hope when things get hard?

 

Image adapted from one shared by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay