Life is annoying. Not all the time, but there are moments when your plans and expectations are replaced with more pressing needs or unexpected distractions. These times can quickly steal your joy and affect other areas of your life.

We can not isolate ourselves from annoyances, and in the bigger picture, they are often quite insignificant. At any moment, we know that there are people facing much more difficult problems, who would gladly swap places with us. Still, like the proverbial stone in the shoe, the cumulative aggravation can drain our energy and draw us away from what really matters.

Recently, I planned a day for some creative activity. I intentionally adjusted my schedule to allow for activities that recreate my spirit and help me feel renewed. The night before, I discovered a small problem with one of my prescriptions, but I was thankful it would only require a phone call and a quick trip to the pharmacy.

I chose to be proactive, caring for this small disturbance at the start of the day so that I could get it out of the way quickly. Seven hours later, the situation was resolved. My original plans were lost. I felt some satisfaction that I was able to navigate all of the minutiae the problem required, but I could not deny the annoyance of losing the better part of a day to something that seemed it should be easily resolved.

The problem with annoyances is, unchecked, they affect our attitudes. This amplifies other small interruptions and increases our focus on negativity. We lose awareness of our blessings, and we begin to share our inner feelings with others, passing on our frustration and often wounding others. Our attitude becomes infectious, contaminating our environment and the hearts of those we love.

The prophet Nehemiah said, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” (8:10) The power to live a victorious life begins with spiritual joy. When we allow the issues of life to steal that joy, we sacrifice our strength as well, and we live from a place of frustration and defeat rather than blessing and victory.

I would love to tell you that I responded to my challenging day with a Spirit-filled attitude of joy. Instead, I allowed my emotions to rule the day and I can only imagine what I missed in the process. I know that I surrendered my creativity, gave room for unnecessary anxiety, and sowed seeds of negativity that I needed to uproot. Ultimately, I created more challenges for myself, and more work to repair the brokenness I created.

It would be easy to claim, “I am only human,” but I have within me the power to choose, to take a different path. While I could not change my circumstances, I could change myself in the midst of those circumstances. There were countless things to be thankful for, but my thankfulness was lost to frustration. This power is not uniquely mine. It belongs to us all.

Choosing joy is not always easy, but it is worth the effort. Pausing in the midst life’s annoyances gives us room to center ourselves on what really matters. Instead of attempting to force our agenda on life, we can respond to life with a sacred attitude, one that celebrates the sacramental nature of life, of ourselves, and of others. A simple change in mindset results in an entirely different experience.

So today, I invite you to learn along with me from my mistake. I encourage you to pause long enough to see life as it truly is, a blessing entrusted to us by God. As the annoyances come, train yourself to increase your joy, not because of the challenges, but in the face of them. Choose a different path, and find strength in the joy you receive. Every second of life is a treasure. We cannot hold onto the time, but we can decide where we will invest it, and that investment will determine the return we receive. Together, let’s choose joy and strength, trading our worry for wonder and our frustration for faith.