Turn Your Sorrow Into Joy

One of my favorite books when I was a child had a little girl in it that was excited to see the circus parade. She hurried to keep up with her older brothers and sisters, but her shoe lace came untied and by the time she stopped to tie it, everyone had left her. She sat on the edge of the curb and cried.

Before long, a clown came by.

The little girl shared her story with him and asked him to help her. He picked her up and set her on an elephant, marching down the street so she would be high enough to find her brothers and sisters. 

Her sorrow turned to joy.

I've remembered that story all these years because even as a child, I recognized the value of taking action to turn sorrow to joy.

We read stories of mothers who, after losing a child to cancer, establish charitable foundations to raise money for research. MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, is a nationwide organization begun by a mother whose child was killed by a drunken driver.

People are amazing. There are stories of inspiration all around us if we only look. What sorrows have you experienced in your life? How do you turn them into joy?

Only by joy and sorrow does a person know anything about themselves and their destiny. Goethe

Those who experience sorrow must dig deep into their souls to find joy. Everyone's journey will be different, but here are some suggestions.

1.         Accept your sorrow.

2.         Talk about it with others.

3.         Journal your feelings.

4.         Find a way to give service.

5.         Allow the joy that comes from helping others to fill your life.

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.

Corrie Ten Boom