Counting our joys

“Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys.” - Dostoevsky

With a stomach bug working its way through our household as I write this last post of the year, I find myself guilty of too much of the former rather than the latter as of late. And yet, it’s always a good time to remind ourselves…

Remember to count our joys – not just our troubles.

But before we get to counting our joys, let’s not skip on acknowledging our troubles.

My work provides me with a rarely seen or shared look behind the curtain that goes far beyond a social media highlight reel. And putting dollar figures aside, we are all in the same boat in that we each have our own battles that we’re fighting. 

I find that the more we can remember to acknowledge these battles – both our own and others – the more empathetic we become with ourselves and others. Because when we start by reminding ourselves that life is indeed hard and facing constant challenges is the norm, not the exception, it also becomes easier to count and appreciate our joys.

So before you set your best intentions for next year, find some time to review and acknowledge your past year. And if – like me – you can’t remember what you did yesterday let alone back in January, open your photos on your phone and scroll back through the year to jog your memory. 

Chances are that despite any hardships and troubles you faced, you’ll still find you have plenty of joys to be thankful for too.

Here’s one last thought to share that comes from Ben Rector’s new song “Richest Man in the World”:

“You can spend your whole life wanting what you don't have or you can find the beauty in the things you do”

I hope acknowledging your struggles and counting your joys helps you find the beauty in the life you already have – no matter what troubles might come your way in the future. 

Happy holidays and best wishes for a great new year from my family to you and yours.