Three years ago, I had a principal who encouraged the staff to, “Find their joy.” At the time, I took this to mean, “Find time to do the things that make you happy.” I assumed he told us this to help us avoid burnout. And while that would be good advice if he intended it that way, I have come to discover that, “Find your joy,” goes so much further than that.
As an aspiring author in the query trenches, I found myself thinking, “As soon as I find an agent, I’ll be satisfied.” Two years into my picture book writing journey, I landed an agent. I was so excited! I couldn’t wait to announce it to my family, my critique partners, and various social media platforms. That feeling of satisfaction, however, only lasted a few months. Soon I found myself thinking, “As soon as I have a book deal, I’ll be satisfied.” A few months later, I signed my first book deal. I was even more excited this time. I was so grateful. I knew there were plenty of other authors out there who would love to be in my shoes, so I should be thankful for what I have. But a year later I found myself wishing I had another book deal, and feeling guilty for wanting that.
Then it hit me what the problem was. I wasn’t finding my joy in the moment. You see happiness and excitement are feelings based on your circumstances. You feel happy when you get a gift. You feel excited when you get a piece of good news. But joy is a deeper contentment or satisfaction that comes despite your circumstances. As humans, we will always want the next big thing whether that be the newest technology, a promotion, or a book deal. Those things aren’t bad in themselves, but we can’t let them dictate our joy. We need to find joy in our circumstances right now at this very moment and constantly looking to future events to make us satisfied in life.
So I can find joy in my life right now. I can find joy in my family, my job, my relationship with Christ, and the successes I’ve had so far. I can also want another book deal and work towards achieving that goal. But book deal or no book deal, my joy will be the same.
