Questions

Hi,

How do stay joyful and motivated in life?

I was happy to answer whatever the question was, but then I saw it...

God can help a lot. Ask him for guidance. As far as direct guidance from me, setting goals for yourself can help a lot. Though when that's happening make sure you aren't SO focused on the goals that you don't get to enjoy the final results.

Stagnation breeds complacency and is a doorway to depression.

To combat this, I always try to make use of dynamics.

I have many interests and hobbies, so I alternate them every so often as to not get bored or burned out on any given thing.

Talking to the Lord helps as well. He's better than any shrink.

I myself tend to forget that fact every now and then.

Hey bud,
I lean on prayer and the Bible.

Secondarily (and I learned this the hard way) don't give up on your favorite activities, friends and stay active.

Workout if you don't.

Serving others is a great way to take the focus off yourself, which helps a lot. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon struggled with melancholy and when he would feel down he would go to the orphanage and play with the kids. It took the focus off himself and so eased his melancholy.

I think it’s also important to remember that the Bible tells us to rejoice in the Lord. But if we focus on chasing a specific emotion we can go astray. Instead we should fix our eyes on Christ (Heb 12), and as we pursue him we will find joy (Ps 16).

I was not able to enjoy life or stay motivated until I worked hard to make breakthroughs in the following areas:

1.  Accepting reality.  Whether that be about my own life, the state of the country, people around me, etc.  Not always trying to control everything but letting God be God and people be people.

2.  That said, working to change what I could change while accepting what I can't.  So things like getting compulsive behavior under control, eating better, exercise, etc.  When we are healthier physically and emotionally, we have more energy to tackle necessary projects.

3.  Becoming more compassionate from the things I suffered.   Learning to forgive (still working on that actually...).

4.  Having a few hobbies and interests that I enjoy.  Finding joy in very simple pleasures and cultivating gratefulness.

Of course I could not have done any of this without leaning on God and his power, learning his ways, experiencing his grace and repentance, and talking to trusted counselors.

I'm a person with many problems and have had a very difficult life and still do.  
But somehow God has pulled/pulls me through every time even if he's doing it while I'm suffering the most.  
But despite all that I am in generally good spirits and love being alive.

In addition to the things previously mentioned, a simple thing that might help is just to spend as much of your free time as possible outside. Go hiking, fishing, wildlife watching, or any other outdoor activity you enjoy. For me anyway, few things feel better than just being outside in nature on a sunny day

Pethead wrote:Serving others is a great way to take the focus off yourself, which helps a lot. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon struggled with melancholy and when he would feel down he would go to the orphanage and play with the kids. It took the focus off himself and so eased his melancholy.

I think it’s also important to remember that the Bible tells us to rejoice in the Lord. But if we focus on chasing a specific emotion we can go astray. Instead we should fix our eyes on Christ (Heb 12), and as we pursue him we will find joy (Ps 16).

I second the main points of this post.