When Complacency Steals Joy

samanthajreynolds
I always seem to find myself sitting in my room, late at night, itching to write for you. I usually think up these elaborate topics, yet, 5 minutes into each post I’m bored. You heard me: B-O-R-E-D. Bored. It’s something that has really been bothering me recently: the fact that something I love to do – like taking the thoughts in my head and putting them into print – could become boring. I noticed that I’ve become complacent with something I love, I’ve grown comfortable, and I’ve let the excitement of it slip away. It’s almost become robotic, in a way. I type words of encouragement, I delete them. I type something else about stress or heartbreak or happiness, I delete it. I get confused, I type, I delete, repeat. It’s a cycle I find so hard to break and I’ve had to come to a harsh realization – I’ve allowed my complacency to steal my joy. 
 
I think a lot of times we do that in life. You find something you love to do so you do it. A lot. People see you do it, and it becomes your thing. It’s who you are, it’s what you’re good at, it’s what is expected. Eventually, once you’ve done it over and over again, you notice you’re no longer experiencing the passion you once felt. Actually, you begin to grow tired of it, and eventually give it up completely. As people, in our day-to-day, “I need to know exactly what’s happening and when” life, we become so comfortable with what the world has to offer us that we let the contentedness we find in routines steal the joy we so desperately need. 

How do we break the cycle? Well, I was sitting here in my room tonight just like I’ve done a hundred times before, asking myself the same question. I had already begun 4 other posts and deleted them one after the other because I just couldn’t connect with what I was saying; I couldn’t find my passion in the hollow words I typed. As I clicked “New Post” for what I decided would be the last attempt of the evening, it hit me. Just be real. It’s so simple, yet sometimes we need to be hit over the head with something that’s right in front of our eyes. The key to finding joy in daily life is to just be who you are. To embrace yourself every minute of every day. Becoming content with what other’s think you’ll do or say will only lead you to resent the passions you once had because you can’t find joy in expectations. Don’t let those expectations everyone else has (sometimes, it may even be you limiting yourself with preconceived notions) be the cause of complacency in your life. Maybe it’s cliche, but seriously embrace each day like its the best day of your life. Make the decision to be real with yourself, and to look for joy in what you love to do. Don’t get caught up in the type, delete, and repeats of the world – break the cycle, overcome the complacency, go find your joy. 

These two friends are some of the biggest sources of joy in my life – they make me laugh till I cry and they are some truly godly girls. I’m SO thankful for them, and it being Thanksgiving week and all, I felt like sharing :)

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