Death by Minivan. Heather Anderson Renshaw

amazing at encouraging others, but you fall short when you need encouragement yourself. Poor self-talk—I’m a terrible mom, I can’t do this, I’m going to mess my kids up, etc., etc.—flies in the face of your identity as beloved daughter of the Most High God, unconditionally and madly loved by your heavenly Father and fully capable of handling the tasks he sets before you. And I know this for sure: God doesn’t make junk. This includes YOU. If you need some roadside assistance on this journey to joy, get your hands on I AM, by Chris Stefanick, and see how revamping the messages you tell yourself about yourself can change your life.

      Coveting: There’s nothing like reallllly wanting another mom’s Pinterest-worthy kitchen or birthday party or hairdo or wardrobe or vacation or career or whatever to put the brakes on joy. When we avoid dangerous detours like envy, bitterness, and resentment, we’re much more likely to arrive in a place of authentic joy.

      Ingratitude: Being ungrateful for the many blessings God has given us is like crumpling up the master map that leads us to joy and throwing it right out the window. Try spending more time thanking and praising God to get back on track. More about this in a later chapter.

      People pleasing and perfectionism: When we constantly worry about what other people want, need, think, or will approve, we have less fuel to seek after what God wants to give us in our vocation. Saint Paul addresses this very thing in Galatians 1:10: “Am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ.” Let’s seek to please God alone, walking in his will for us, and watch the joy expound!

      Attachments: It’s much more difficult to enter into the joy of the Lord when we cling to things of this world, pet sins, or anything that is not of God’s kingdom. Are you having an especially rough time detaching from bad habits or attitudes? Now might be a good time to drive on over to the nearest parish for confession. Nothing brings joy to the soul quite like complete reconciliation and time spent with the Lord. Check out www.masstimes.org to find Mass, confession, or adoration at a parish near you.