It’s January and the familiar, sometimes rote and most often times sincere wishes of a  “Happy New Year”  are exchanged.  Yet after our epic 2020, when we are honest many of us are wondering will it be a Happy or A Happy Crappy New Year?  Can I really feel happy?  If I felt “happy” would everything be better? 

Preston and I jump right in and share why we are convinced it is not just the “happy” we really want and long for, but the fulfilled life.  Happy is an emotional state of “high” that comes and goes, but a fulfilled life is the measure of it ALL taken into account.  It's the perspective of the ups and down, rather than the steady linear line that we think we want and need in order to experience the “good life” everyone else portrays to have, if I choose to see the down as an opportunity to move up and in the up I enjoy the moments of celebration and grace God has given,  then that is the fulfilled life I want. 

So though we know the new normal and uncomfortable state of reality does not quite feel like "happy" we move on with the passing smile or grin covering over the brokenness within, a time when the masks leave the unanswered questions ok.  

We have 2 Focus Mindsets to choose: 

1) Disappointed it's not the "happy" life I imagined I would live.  Everything, everyone and everyday is a repeat of yesterday, just worse. 

2) Each day is a gift scattered with moments of happiness and disappointment.  I choose to maintain a position of hope that I can put my trust in God, learn more of who I am, whose I am, who He is and my purpose in this world.  This is the journey of the fulfilled life even when.....