Joy Above Circumstances
Have you been able to have JOY above your circumstances? Are you still being pulled back into ruts of old thinking?
If you’re someone who needs the science behind all this, the proof – well, this post is for you! If you haven’t slipped back and are experiencing JOY, skip down to The POINT of it all…
You might think that you are hard wired to react as you do. What triggers you sends you on a path that you have no control over. Psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett writes in the book How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. "When something happens in the world ... our emotions come on fast and uncontrollable, as if somebody flipped a switch," she writes.
But when researchers look at what's going on inside the brain and inside the body during specific emotional states, the theory doesn't hold up. Over the past decade, neuroscientists like Dr. Caroline Leaf (Book: Switch on Your Brain) have begun to shift how they think emotions arise. Rather than being inevitable, hard-coded experiences, researchers now think emotions are malleable, and people have more influence over them than previously thought. Check out my blog post, Mental Mess blog January 16th 2023 with a bit more from Dr. Caroline Leaf.
She and other neuroscientists have proved you can re-wire your brain. It’s like the Indian story of the two wolves. The wolf you feed will grow, the other will die. Which wolf are you feeding?
For example, you're walking in the woods, and you see a grizzly bear, says neuroscientist Anil Sethat from the University of Sussex. "You recognize it's a bear," he says, "and then what happens?" Previously researchers thought the emotion comes first. "You see a bear and then you feel afraid," Seth says. "Because you're afraid, your brain then jacks up your adrenaline levels."
Your heart rate rises. Your breath quickens. Your pupils dilate. And blood rushes to your skeletal muscles. The old theory was that "the fear sets in train all kinds of flight and fight responses so that you are well-prepared to run away and live another day," Anil adds. In other words, the emotion (i.e., fear) triggers the physiological responses (i.e., an adrenaline rush).
Kelly McGonigal speaks to these physiological responses in her brilliant TED Talk, Making Stress your friend. If you know me, you’ve heard me recommend this TED talk 100 times. It is life-changing, you can manage how you think about stress, you can manage your thoughts and your emotions. You can re-wire your brain.
Back to the grizzly bear story, according to the latest research, the human body probably works the other way around, Seth says. "The brain registers a grizzly bear, and that perception sets in train all the physiological responses." You get an adrenaline rush. Your heart rate goes up. You start breathing faster. Blood rushes to your muscles. And then the emotion comes.
The brain senses these physiological changes and decides which emotion to conjure up. The emotion is an interpretation of what's going on both inside the body (the adrenaline rush) and the outside of the body (the sight of the bear). "The brain has to figure out what caused the sensory signals," Seth says.
The POINT of it all…
By practicing particular emotions – like joy, calm, gratitude, and positivity - you can "rewire" your brain. Lisa Feldman Barret says, "Your brain grows new connections that make it easier for you to automatically cultivate these emotions in the future." So when you start to feel a negative emotion, such as sadness or frustration, you can more easily swap that negative feeling for a positive one, such as awe or gratitude.”
Dr. Michelle Bengston, who has been a neuropsychologist in the mental health field for over twenty years, I’ve seen thousands of patients suffer with depression and anxiety. “Despite the cause of one’s depression or anxiety, a common consequence is a lack of God’s joy in our lives.” She also states, “Our society is consumed with the next trend, chasing all that glitters in hopes it will lead to happiness. But a life rooted in joy is what gives deep meaning and purpose to our days. Happiness is wonderful but joy is sustaining.
Happiness, we know, comes, and goes and is highly dependent on external circumstances. Joy, however, endures, even if it is diminished by circumstances or we don’t recognize that it’s there. What exactly is joy? I experience joy like a fullness in my heart, an inner contentment despite outer circumstances.
The Bible warns we have an enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. This includes our joy. But he can only do that when we give him permission.
Where Is My Focus?
Jesus came that we could have joy. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)
How do we maintain a state of joy? One solution is this:
J-Jesus
O-Over
Y-Your circumstance
We maintain our joy despite bleak or dire circumstances only by keeping our focus on Jesus and not on ourselves or our situation. Focusing on the trials or adversity surrounding us serves to highlight our limited knowledge, wisdom, and resources. Keeping steadfastly focused on Jesus highlights the solver of all our problems and allows us to keep our joy because in him we already have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).
Practically speaking, how do we keep our focus on Jesus instead of our circumstances? I have found that in my most difficult circumstances, writing down encouraging scripture on notecards or Post-it notes and posting them around my house, car, and office help me keep the right perspective. Each time I see one of these notes, I am reminded of the trials Jesus faced and the joy that I can maintain because he has already won the battle for me. It keeps my focus on him rather than on my situation.
Sometimes we need tangible, concrete reminders to keep our focus on the very real truth of an unseen God. For me, that is Scripture, but there are many other ways to remind ourselves of God’s love. Some wear jewelry—a special cross or charm. Some carry a stone in their pocket. I even have a friend who has Scripture tattooed on her wrist. Deuteronomy 11:18-19 tells us, “You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise" (NRSV). When we keep God’s word close in our hearts, we are reminded that there is much more to life than the circumstances we see with our eyes.”
I also found this cool Joy Generator in an article by Michaeleen Doucleff. Check it out. Every time you click on it, you get something new. It might be one you keep in your favorites and visit when you need to remind yourself of JOY. Don’t let your emotions rule you, your heart is foolish and cannot be trusted. Emotions get us into trouble when we let them run free. It’s your choice to choose JOY! If you’d like to read more about joy and what the Bible says concerning JOY, this link is full of verses!
What will you choose? I hope it’s JOY!
Sources:
The Holy Bible
Joy Keeping: Living above Your Circumstances Blog / Produced by The High Calling