Aggressively Happy by Joy Marie Clarkson

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A Realist's Guide to Believing in the Goodness of Life

At first glance, this book looks like it will be a feel good, happy-go-lucky book where everything is sunshine and rainbows, but it's not. 

"Patching together a joyful life takes far more effort than submitting to the soporific lull of cynicism. Cultivating happiness takes grit, determination, and a good sense of humor. It's a lot of work."  And that is true. Joy doesn't sugarcoat life-she recognizes and acknowledges the hard and shares stories of her own hard, of her own struggles to be happy. 

Her chapter titles indicate that she understands the struggle: Flounder Well, Befriend Sadness, Be Like Mr. Collins, etc. Joy understands that life will be difficult, but she also understands that God is there with her in the struggle and He will help her through it.

I really enjoyed this book. I was challenged to accept what comes my way in life, to sit with the sadness, to flounder well in the uncertain times, and to be grateful for the little things. And above all, to be willing to give myself away.

"To get to give yourself away is the real blessing. The true gift is to forget yourself because you are pouring all of who you are into your work, your loved ones, the world, and to discover that, somehow, you are fuller because of it." Now before you get that idea that she gives and gives until she has nothing left, she also emphasizes the importance of self-care. We have a human body that gets tired and hungry and needs to be taken care of. So these two things must have a balance.

I received this book from Bethan House and was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

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