"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." Isaiah 12:3

Joy

joi/ noun
1. a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

Or in everyday terms, joy is that feeling when you're curled up under a pile of blankets watching your favorite series on Netflix or burying your nose in your favorite book completely engrossed in what you are doing without a care in the world.

Throughout life there are many circumstances that may seem to act as thieves of joy and, although it has taken me a long time to realize, they only take the joy you're willing to give away. Of course, there are always dire situations in which joy will leave you but in nearly every other situation, it is 100% up to you how much joy you retain in your life.

Shocking as it may seem, joy is a choice. You can choose to be happy just as easily as you can choose to be sad about a given situation. I didn't fully believe this until I allowed two people to steal all of my joy and leave me heartbroken and sullen. It wasn't until I went to college and got away from the situation that I was able to realize that I am a living, breathing source of joy for myself and my loved ones.

Sometimes when people aren't exactly in this same mindset it can get challenging to retain the joy you create in your own life, but you have to acknowledge that how they react to you- whether it's anger or sarcasm- is simply their own projection and should not hinder your happiness.