Fight for Your Happy
Put ’em up!
Some days, I feel like I am going 12 rounds with a big bully named the Gloomster.
Smack! He unmercifully jabs at my heart and seeks to demolish my passion and purpose.
Thump! My oppressor taunts me with verbal blows. You can’t win this fight. Defeat is certain. I’m going to leave you slumped on the floor and gasping for breath.
Some days, I am weary of the fight. But then I remember that I am not fighting alone. I look up and catch a glimpse of a great cloud of witnesses cheering me on and saying, “Keep your dukes up, girly.” I stop listening to the bully and I hear the gentle voice of my Champion encouraging me to stay in the ring and keep fighting the good fight.
The power within me is so much stronger than the forces against me. I just need to fight smart.
I need to fight for my happy. Just like David knocked down a giant with 5 little stones, I can sling my faith forward by using simple tools to win the war.
5 Ways to Fight for Your Happy
Look for the beauty in your day: Take a few minutes each day to pause and remember how God has blessed your life. Count your blessings and name them one by one. Some days you need to make your own sunshine.
Listen to your heartbeat: How’s your heart? God created you with special bents and gifts. Happy looks different for each of us. Take the Happiness Style Assessment to discover what makes you tick. You might enjoy exploring a museum, reading a book, chatting with friends over coffee, baking treats for your neighbors, or weeding the garden. Sometimes, we focus our energy on activities that don’t fill up our tank. This assessment will help you understand how to invest your time in the right things.
Put fun on your to-do list: Throw a kitchen dance party. Use your hairbrush as a microphone and belt out some karaoke in your living room. Spend at least 15 minutes doing something completely silly today. You will feel better.
Make room for rest: It’s okay to take it easy sometimes. The Lord Himself has given you permission to take a day off and just breathe. He didn’t include that in the Bible as an after thought. If you choose rest, you will be renewed and find your happy again.
Feed your soul with words that heal: Read your favorite psalm and slowly meditate on each phrase. Dust off your favorite children’s book and do a read-aloud. Spend a few minutes lingering over an entry in your favorite devotional. Sign up for Jennifer Dukes Lee’s Happiness Dare Challenge and get a little happy in your inbox for 10 days.
Beat your enemy to the punch and stand strong and happy in the power of God’s might.
Something to think about…
I’m sharing “Fight for Your Happy” with like-minded friends at Faith-Filled Friday.
Thought-Provoking Thursday Spotlight: Jennifer Dukes Lee
Would you like to be happier?
No matter who you are or how you feel, chances are you would answer yes. And Jennifer Dukes Lee was no different. For years, she wrestled with a constant nagging sense that she wasn’t as happy as she could be. At the same time, she felt guilty for wanting something so “shallow.” After all, doesn’t God only care that we find joy in our circumstances? Or is it possible that God really does want us to be happy?
Determined to get answers, Jennifer embarked on a quest to find out whether our happiness matters to God and, if so, how to pursue it in a way that pleases him.
In The Happiness Dare, you’ll learn what she discovered, including how to:
Understand the five happiness styles and maximize yours
Overcome the four biggest obstacles that stand in the way of your happiness
Find your happiness sweet spot―the place, relationship, or activity that gives you the greatest sense of well-being
Discover what you can do in just five minutes a day to be happier
Will you take the dare?
Join Jennifer in the pursuit of your truest, most satisfied, and most faith-filled self. Head on over to Amazon to purchase The Happiness Dare.
Jennifer Dukes Lee is an award-winning former news journalist, an (in)courage writer and a blogger athttp://www.JenniferDukesLee.com. Jennifer once took a dare to find out whether happiness matters to God and, if so, how to pursue it in a way that pleases Him. Out of that quest, was born:The Happiness Dare: Pursuing Your Heart’s Deepest, Holiest, and Most Vulnerable Desire.
Thought-Provoking Thursday Linkup:
Have you written something thought-provoking, challenging, encouraging, or inspiring lately? Link it up here! For best results, write the title of your post in the name box. 
