Finding Joy in the Mundane ^Featured

Often the monotony of everyday life can quickly extract joy. It has been said before that novelty is the key to happiness and once the novelty of an action, a person, or an event wears off, it becomes mundane and no longer satisfying. The problem is that life is full of the mundane.

Christians are called to be joyful in an unearthly way and to find joy that is beyond the norms of this world. How does one find that joy when all we do is go from home to work and back? Finding this joy stems from seeing the world through a different lense. Being in the world, but not of the world goes beyond church and witnessing to people.

Seeing your daily commute as something more and looking at it as a time for learning something new or engaging with the surrounding world is a magnificent way of finding something bigger in a small moment. That conversation with your neighbor Bill about the weather? Take it to the next level. See it as your last chance to talk to Bill. Approach it as the first and last time you will ever get to see Bill. Go beyond the mundane and dive deeper.

It stems into so much of our life. The idea that we need to look at things as so much more than just routine and humdrum. We must look at it as our last chance to engage, while also looking at it as our first time doing this particular task. Do you remember the first time you saw your husband and thought he was attractive? Now ten years, two career changes, and three kids into the marriage, he’s just the man that you share your life with. What would happen if you woke up each morning and looked at him like it was the first time you were seeing him? Sure it could make for an awkward moment to begin with (if you take it literally), but it could also create a beautiful door for you to see something new.

The reason many people enjoy travelling so much is the novelty. It is taking them from the norm of their daily lives, uprooting them from everything they know, and bringing a new vision to it. Even if the trip is absolutely miserable and you spend half of the trip with food poisoning, it makes you appreciate the simple luxury of your own bed and your own home. This new outlook on things is key to keeping things fresh and joyful. Seek something beautiful and joyful in each new moment. Next time you are making that phone call to your client, approach it like it’s the first client you have worked with. Approach it with trepidation and excitement. Joy will be just around the corner.