1. Joyfulness Vs. Self-pity
Maintaining a good attitude, even when faced with unpleasant conditions.

2. Remain positive when the house is messy, and when the bills are due.
At home
Remain positive when the house is messy, and when the bills are due.
Find ways to solve the family problems in a positive way. Try to get the family to smile in the middle of the problem by spreading a good attitude.

3. Exhorting one another is a way to bring up joy in the midst of a problem, and laughter is a good tool for getting a good attitude in the middle of a bad day. Laughter will keep the home bright and cheery.

4. Joyfulness is contagious, and so is the lack of it.
Your health depends on you keeping a good attitude. Self-pity and stress will only bring bad health and continued problems.
Joyfulness is contagious, and so is the lack of it.
Those that have no joy can give no joy. Ask yourselves, where do you get your joy?

5. My definition of joy is this: spirituality with a tin can tied to its tail.
…Excitement about the things that you are doing that are right and just.
Find joy in the fact that your family is alive, healthy, and loves one another. Find joy that you have a job and are blessed to pay the rent, and have food on the table. These things are important, and can bring you joy.

6. Joyfulness is the propelling force behind our getting up in the morning. A person that is caught in self pity will not want to get up.
Joyfulness is about what we can do for others, while self pity is about what others need to do for us. What is wrong with this thinking?
Joy will begin when we think joyful thoughts. It is a choice that we must make.

7. In America, we believe in life, liberty, and the purchase of happiness
In America, we believe in life, liberty, and the purchase of happiness. As if we could buy our joy. Shady business never produces a sunny life. But a sunny life filled with joy will produce a bright and shiny future. If we can’t find joy in what we have, why would we search for more stuff!

8. People whose main concern is their own joy seldom find it.
People whose concern is the joy of those around them seldom have a pity party.
The roots of joy grow deep in the soil of service, especially when they’re watered by the tears of those that care.

9. It’s sad that real joy can’t be found as fast as self pity.
There is a sequence to finding real joy. Priorities are the start. They must be in this order:
J - Jesus
O - Others
Y - You

10. Some pursue joy while others create it. Which do you do?
It’s pretty hard to tell what brings joy; poverty and wealth have both failed. What brings you joy?
Some pursue joy while others create it. Which do you do?
Joyfulness comes when we are striving for something worthwhile. This can be a measuring stick for knowing if you are going after something that is worthwhile; how much joy are you getting out of it?

11. Joy comes when we stop complaining about the troubles that we have, and start giving thanks for the troubles that we don’t have.
Someone once said that money could not bring me joy, but I would like to test that myself. (a little joke, ha!) Of course, I was also told that if I wanted to bring joy in my friend’s life, I could leave and go home. (What do you think he meant?)

12. Miss Atkins was a teacher at the high school and loved to teach
Miss Atkins was a teacher at the high school and loved to teach. She never dated that much because she loved her work and put all her efforts in teaching. She said repeatedly, “I find my joy in teaching my students.” The new physical education teacher started coming around and visiting Miss Atkins at lunch and they started conversing a lot about her life and her dreams for the future. She thought that it was wonderful that someone cared enough to ask about her dreams.
Months went by and they started going out on dates. It wasn’t long before she moved in with the man and of course was sleeping with him.
Weeks later he came at lunch time and told her that he wanted her to move back to her house. She was devastated and moved back to her home. After days went by of not coming to work on time, she was given notice that she would lose her job if she didn’t get there on time. She told them, “I am so tired all the time; I can’t get up in the morning.”

13. The students started coming over to see her after school, but she wouldn’t answer her door. She now didn’t like to clean her home, or even keep herself up. She told the school board that her joy for teaching was gone. Her life dreams had fallen apart and she didn’t know if she still wanted to teach. Depressed and alone, she walked out of the board meeting, passing her classroom with tears in her eyes.
As she left the building, there was a young lady sitting on the steps crying. Miss Atkins asked her if she was all right, and sat down beside her. The young girl told her that her first boyfriend had just broken up with her and was going out with her best friend. Miss Atkins just held her in her arms and cried with her.

14. They walked back into the school and talked for an hour
They walked back into the school and talked for an hour. The young lady thanked Miss Atkins for her caring and said that she had really helped her a lot.
Six months went by and there is now a new counselor at the school. Her name is Miss Atkins. She says that her joy now is helping young students keep focused on their dreams, and notes that it was a young student that helped her fulfill her dream.

15. Group discussion
1)What happened to Miss Atkins that took the joyfulness out of her day?
2) Where did she really start to lose the joy?
3) Do morals have anything to do with having joy?
4) Was she doing anything wrong?
5) Was she having self pity?
6) What restored her joy?
7) Explain what you got out of this story.