Hummingbirds are really quite amazing.

They are very small (the hummingbird egg is the size of a jellybean), versatile and fun to watch. Their wings beat up to eighty times per second. They can rotate in a complete circle, hovering like a helicopter in mid-air, fly forwards, backwards, up, down, sideways and even upside-down.

The laws of physics say it should be impossible for the humming bird to fly.

But, as Steve Chandler says, “Clearly nobody told the hummingbird.”

I remember traveling to the Philippines years ago. It is a beautiful country, filled with beautiful people. We traveled to one of the poorest areas to donate supplies from the U.S. HOPE worldwide was there administering dental work and providing simple medical treatments. We (non-medical) were asked to bring a suitcase of the basics - clothes, toothbrushes, soap, socks, etc. to give away to families that were local to that area. It was some of the harshest conditions I had ever seen or been around.

The Joyful Children

I will never forget the children that day. My wife and I still talk about it. Joyful, happy, grateful, friendly, laughing, playing games, jumping rope, having a good time just being together.

The laws of materialism and comfort say it should be impossible for the people there to be joyful. I learned that day, “Clearly no one told the children.”

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Most, if not all of the beautiful children I saw that day, had never left their local area. There was nothing to compare their situation to – therefore there joy remained, it was not ‘stolen’ by the knowledge of a different life with different surroundings – it was all they knew!

How many times have I missed the ‘joy of life’ by comparing myself to others - my situation or ‘stuff’- because I was envious or jealous?

Convicted and determined, I spent these last 25 years trying to understand how to maintain consistent (although imperfect) joy and peace in my life. After years of research, reflection and development, I found a way to not only practice joy in my own life, but teach it to others. It’s possible. It’s real.

Is it Really Possible to be Joyful Always?

Maybe you can be tempted to think, “Dave, if you knew, like REALLY knew, my story - you would understand why it is so hard (if not impossible) for me to live the joyful life.”

I know it can seem hard – maybe because you have been trying so long – to maintain consistent joy. You might even feel like, ‘It’s impossible’.

Technically, it’s impossible for the humming bird to fly as well. But they can – up to 30 MPH!

The Bible mentions being joyful and in some cases commands it:

• ‘Be joyful always….’
  
• ‘Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds….’
  
• ‘Rejoice always in the Lord always….’
  

Imagine with me, for just a moment, a life where your joy is untouched and unaffected by life’s circumstances. A life where your joy was your strength and fueled you through the day regardless of what was going on around you or the results you were achieving. Can you see it? Can you picture this?

If you can see it, you can reach it. I know, not only because the Bible calls us to have true joy always, but because I know how to change my thinking to achieve it. And so can you. It starts by deepening your awareness of those areas affecting your joy. And you can do so by clicking the button below, which will take you to a page to access the Joy Meter Assessment.