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December 22, 2014
by Marti Wormuth, MA

Finding Joy with a Disability

December 22, 2014 04:55 by Marti Wormuth, MA  [About the Author]

Joy and happiness are two things that you need in order to get through difficult times in your life. Even though that may seem obvious, it is more difficult for some people than it is for others. It can be especially hard if you have other circumstances going on in your life, like dealing with a disability of some sort. So, we're going to look at the importance of finding joy in your pain and how you can find joy in your life once again, even if you are dealing with the pain and difficulties that come with having a disability of some sort. 

The Importance of Being Joyful Through Pain

Joy and happiness are two things that are really important to hold onto, especially if you're working through difficult times in your life. These things can help our attitude be better, can help our mental health to be more stable, and they can help us to feel as if we have control of our life. It may seem like it is a little much, but being able to hold onto joy and a zest for life will make it that much easier for you to be able to overcome some of the more difficult things that you may have to go through in your life, no matter what they may be.

Obviously, this doesn't mean that you have to stuff everything. No, you need to allow yourself to feel the hurt, the frustration, and the pain that sometimes comes with the difficult times in our lives, but that doesn't mean that you can't come out on the other side of it and feel a joy that gives you peace to get through those hard times. Life isn't always going to be sunshine and roses, but if you can hold onto hope and joy in your heart, you're going to find that life is much easier to walk through then. 

Joy is just an important thing to have, and because of that, you have to be sure that you are able to find it, even in the most difficult of times. Sometimes, we don't understand the circumstances that we are in, but if we take the time to find something to be joyful and/or thankful for, the healing and the overcoming will be a lot easier than they ever had been before, and we will be able to live a life that is an inspiration to the people who are watching us go through these hard times. 

How Can I Find Joy in a Disability? 

So, now we come to the point of this blog post. How do you find joy even if you have a disability? How do you find a way to hold onto hope if you've got something that many people would say is holding you back. For the purposes of this, a disability can be almost anything - mental illness, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, or whatever else that may be considered a disability. Some people may not consider some of those things to be disabilities, but if they make it difficult for you to do something in your life, then it falls into this category.

All that being said, there are a number of things that you can do in order to feel joy and find peace in the midst of having a disability. Some of it just has to deal with getting creative - you're only restricted by your imagination and your mind; you can find joy in almost anything if you are looking for it in your life. Here are some hints and tips that can help you to find the joy that you're looking for, even if you are working through having a disability of some sort. 

Only fill your life with positive things. Positivity is hard to come by at times, but you need to do everything that you can to get rid of the negative and fill your life with the positive. If there are things in your life that are holding you down or people that are holding you back from your goals and aspirations, or that only focus on the struggles that you have, you don't need that in your life. The more positivity that you bring into your life, the more positive that you will be as a result of the mindset. 

Be grateful for what you currently have. This is hard sometimes, especially if you're trying to change the way that you think and you want to be more thankful for what you've got. I'll use an example from my own life for this; I have social anxiety disorder, and because of that, it's sometimes really hard for me to relate to people and to develop meaningful relationships. The good news is that, just because it's difficult for me to do so, doesn't mean that I don't have any at all, and the ones that I do have I'm incredibly thankful for and I'm glad that they are in my life. It sounds simple, but sometimes, you can be grateful for the littlest thing and it will help your mood to be better and help you to find joy, even if you're having a bad day or you don't feel like you will be able to get through your current struggles and pain. 

Make sure that the friendships that you have are beneficial and are not hurting you instead of helping you. Like I said above, you don't have any time for negativity in your life, so make sure that you are filled with positive things and positive people. You want to spend your time with people that love you as you are, and you don't want to be in relationships that are just going to make the whole thing worse or that make you more dependent instead of independent. Don't waste your time with that; instead, take the time to develop the friendships and relationships with people that love you and lift you up - they will give you joy and strength. 

Look at the little things and find happiness and joy in them. Sometimes, it just takes seeing a small animal in your yard or a little baby at the store to get a smile on someone's face. It sounds really simple, but really, the little things can bring us so much joy. If you've had a rough day with physical therapy and stuff, you may find joy in the fact that you were able to talk to someone that you love and care for, or that you made progress. The little things add up and can bring you encouragement and strength to make it through. 

Get involved in a community of people of some sort. Many times, people with disabilities end up feeling very alone, But the good news is, you don't have to feel that way, because there are a lot of people out there that are going through the same exact things that you are dealing with. Find those communities and get the support that you are looking for, and then you will not feel as alone and you will find joy and happiness. Those people can also encourage you with their own joy as well, which makes it that much more exciting to go through life together in a healthy and exciting manner. 

Do what you like. What are your favorite hobbies? What do you like to do on a regular basis? What makes you smile or laugh? Think about all of these things, and just do them when you can! Your hobbies can be a great way for you to get away, and if you're really good at them, it can help you to feel stronger and more self sufficient as well. It gives you that bit of happiness that you need to get through your day. If you have appointments all day, you can tell yourself that you can watch your favorite show or play a game when you get home. Use the things you like as encouragement. 

Sometimes it's difficult for us to get through all of the different trials in our lives, and a disability can be that much more difficult for people who have a disability as well. If you have a disability and you feel like you are having a difficult time with your life, there are a lot of mental health professionals that can help you to work through your hurt. Check out the resources and contact information that we have available here on the site to get started, and you can live a life that is full of joy and happiness, once again. 

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BBC News. (2012, December 12). Britons feel 'Paralympics effect' Retrieved July 1, 2014, from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-20693024

Bennett, C. (2013, August 18). Down syndrome: Turning disability into positivity. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/08/17/downs-syndrome-success-stories

Hopler, W. (2009, July 19). Find Joy While Parenting a Child with Disabilities. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from http://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/find-joy-while-parenting-a-child-with-disabilities-1407557.html

Milsom, A. (2006, October). Creating Positive School Experiences for Students with Disabilities. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/26319

O'Hara, M. (2012, March 14). Disabled people's magazine taps a 'niche for positivity' Retrieved July 1, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/mar/13/disabled-peoples-magazine-niche-positivity

About the Author

Marti Wormuth, MA Marti Wormuth, MA

Marti has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a Master’s in Communication Studies. Her favorite activities include reading, playing games, and hanging out with the students at her church. Marti volunteers with the youth ministry at her church as a teacher and mentor. Because of this, she recently started another degree, her graduate certificate in student ministries. She considers her current graduate work to be a stepping stone to becoming a youth pastor or a published author.

Professional Website: martis-miscellany.com/
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