How to prioritize joy in the chaos
Hi Friends!
It’s October! Can you believe it!? It’s such a fun and beautiful time of year AND it also feels like the kickoff to the end of year hustle. Our schedules fill up quick with holidays and recitals and deadlines and all the other demands of life. How do we handle it? And beyond that, how do we find a way to prioritize our faith as we handle it?
In his conference address a few weeks ago President Nelson said—
“Here is the great news of God’s plan: The very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be!”
It really is great news! Sometimes we can see our mortal lives exclusively as a time of sacrifice to qualify for goodness in eternity, but the truth is what brings real peace and joy now paves the way for those same things eternally.
The crucial difference here is to follow God’s plan for peace and joy rather than popular culture’s. As President Nelson taught, “The baseless notion that we should “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us” is one of the most absurd lies in the universe.”
Rather than only living for today, we can instead come to experience firsthand that as we live with eternity in mind, those same choices and priorities are what will bring us joy now. And joy now matters!
As we get ready to take on the busy months ahead, let’s try to embrace this mindset and prioritize what matters most! As we do, we will see the evidence that contrary to how it feels in the moment, choosing what matters most simplifies our lives even in the craziest times. Here are a few things to help!
Feel Better in 5! Prioritizing joy in the chaos of life!
Zoom out!
When things get hard and hectic, we tend to fixate on the stress, but when we are able to see things differently it can bring the peace and perspective we need! “I believe we can, through the eye of faith, zoom out and view ourselves and our families with hope and joy.” Tamara Runia
Be bold.
We have to have the courage to prioritize our lives differently than the people around us even when it yields criticism. As we do so we will naturally let go of the extra stuff that distracts us from what really matters. “…Public opinion is not the arbiter of truth.” President Nelson
Ask for help.
Asking a friend to help with carpool IS helpful, but we also want to work on asking for heavenly help. When it’s hard to know what to put first or how to get through something hard, prayer can be our first stop.
Speak the good.
Our struggles don’t just consume our minds, they can also consume our conversations. It’s important to talk things out, but as we try to see and speak about the things that are going well, or about the help we have received, we will see the miracles in our lives more clearly which prepares us for more!
Cling to covenants.
Temple worship, prayer, service, and other faith-oriented priorities can be the first things that fall off the list when things get tough but as we put them first, we will see the payoff.
Joy and struggle can coexist, sometimes in the very same moment. As we prioritize Christ and keep eternity in mind the natural consequence is the improvement of our lives TODAY!