Get Joy by Kicking But

A short story to convince you to get joy by kicking but!

In a place far, far away there is a girl who lives on the Island of But.

As she dresses in the morning she looks at herself in the mirror. She imagines having a boyfriend, but she isn’t curvy like the popular girls. At breakfast her coffee is good, but it would be better with a muffin. At work, her boss tells her to apply for an available promotion, but she doesn’t feel qualified. And so the day goes on. Each thought and desire is attached to a but. Although she is aware, she feels powerless to move away from the island.

Many of us have isolated ourselves on the Island of But. Still, we imagine a day when the planets miraculously align and every circumstance in our lives is just right. Then we will sail away from our self-imposed island and live the perfect life, happy and full of joy.

Kick some but instead! Choose to leave the island right now. Joy is a choice, not something that is bestowed upon us. We are not defined by our circumstances or our past. We have the power, right now, to define ourselves by what we accept, reflect, and deflect.

Accept

Accept yourself unconditionally. Because of Jesus, you are loved for who you are, not for what you do or don’t do, produce, or achieve. Don’t give in to the myth of perfection. Love yourself, take care of yourself, don’t let anyone mistreat you or disrespect you. You are a child of God. You will find your life’s purpose when you have faith in God and are convinced of who you are in Jesus.

Reflect

You reflect what you fill yourself with. Social media is in the business of comparing. Making you think you need to buy something or be someone different. After all, they make money by promoting, and what they promote is not always good. What you read, watch, listen to, and surround yourself with will always influence you, good or bad. Reject depression, comparison, negative competition, and consumption. Respect yourself by purposely choosing what you expose to your heart and mind.

Deflect

Deflect all that is negative. Avoid drama, mean-spirited media, people that drag you down or don’t treat you right. Just walk away. Don’t give up and don’t give in. Don’t allow others to force their opinions or expectations on you. You choose.

It takes courage to kick but, to defend your happiness, to see and accept the joy in life. It takes a counter-culture attitude to avoid being sucked in and pressured to go with the crowd.

There is only one of you in all the world. You are a treasure and you are worth fighting for. You uniquely combine gifts, skills, and experiences to contribute to the world around you. Still learning to accept who you are? I found encouragement by reading books by author Holley Gerth. Her New York Times bestseller, The Powerful Purpose of Introverts: Why the World Needs You to Be You, helped me embrace what I had always thought was a disadvantage in my personality. She also writes beautiful and inspiring devotional books. Here’s a link to her website.

You are never alone when you stay connected to God—your true source of joy. Romans 15:13 says, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Empower yourself with my free ebook, Simple Prayers for Chaotic Times. Like a combination of prayers and affirmation statements, these simple prayers are easy to remember so you can whisper them to God (and yourself) anytime. Let’s call them prayerfirmations! The prayers are arranged by subject, so you can go to what you need.

Now go out there and kick but!