Life is What You Make It—Finding Joy in Everyday Life
Finding joy in everyday life starts with perspective. Learn how to embrace the beauty of simple moments and make the most of daily life.
Have you ever heard someone call something basic vanilla like it’s a bad thing? Lately, I’ve been hearing that phrase a lot—usually in a dismissive way. It’s used to describe things that are plain, predictable, and unexciting. And it got me thinking…
What if basic vanilla isn’t actually boring?
What if the ordinary, everyday moments of our lives—the ones we sometimes overlook or wish away—are actually the richest, most meaningful parts? What if finding joy in everyday life is totally possible?
Here’s the truth: life is 100% what we make it.
Not every day is a victorious, mountaintop experience. There are seasons of excitement and change, but there are also long stretches of routine, of the seemingly mundane. And yet, those simple, quiet days? They are the foundation of our lives. They are where joy, gratitude, and contentment are cultivated.
Ordinary Isn’t Empty—It’s an Opportunity
Somewhere along the way, we started believing that excitement and fulfillment only come from big things—big achievements, big changes, big moments. But what if the most beautiful parts of life aren’t in the highlights, but in the in-between?
The morning light spilling across your kitchen table.
The laughter of your children playing.
The warmth of a fresh loaf of bread out of the oven.
The quiet peace of washing dishes while a candle flickers nearby.
These moments may seem small, but they are everything. They are where real life happens. And just like a bowl of vanilla ice cream can be made extraordinary with just the right touch of homemade caramel or fresh fruit, our days can become deeply meaningful when we choose to see them that way.
The Beauty of a Life Well-Lived
When we slow down and start seeing our ordinary moments as sacred, something shifts. We begin to realize that life isn’t happening later—it’s happening right now.
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 reminds us:
“I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”
God never promised us that every day would be filled with adventure and excitement, but He did give us the ability to rejoice in the life He has given us. To find contentment in the work of our hands, in the meals shared with loved ones, in the little blessings we so often take for granted.
How to Make Everyday Life Feel Less “Basic Vanilla”
If you’ve been feeling like your life is on autopilot, here tips for finding joy in everyday life:
- Slow Down and Savor – Instead of rushing through tasks, be fully present. Notice the details, the sights, sounds, and smells of your home. Take joy in the work of homemaking.
- Find Beauty in the Small Things – Light a candle while you cook. Put on soft music while you clean. Take a walk and notice the changing seasons.
- Practice Gratitude – Make it a habit to thank God for the little things. Gratitude transforms the ordinary into something sacred.
- Create Moments of Delight – Bake something from scratch, try a new tea, or make your bed with fresh sheets and a spritz of lavender.
- Invite God into Your Everyday – Your home and your routines are places of ministry. Ask God to help you see the holiness in the ordinary.
You Get to Decide
At the end of the day, the life we live is the life we create. We can see our routines as dull and unimportant, or we can choose to see them as the beautiful, meaningful, God-given gifts that they are. Finding joy in everyday life isn’t impossible.
So today, I challenge you—look for the beauty in your ordinary. Infuse joy into your day, not by chasing something bigger but by savoring what is already in front of you.
Because life is not about waiting for mountaintop moments. It’s about embracing every simple, beautiful, God-filled moment in between.
Let’s make it a life well-lived.
