My most controversial take

I’m going to offer my most controversial take in the three years of doing this Substack: We have to schedule noticing joy and put it on the calendar.

I don’t mean create joy, it’s there, I mean merely notice it.

In our over-scheduled lives, usually only two things happen: Things we schedule and have to get done, or the things we do to avoid the tasks we have scheduled and need to complete.

So we’re either working on tasks or avoiding tasks. It’s working for the man or doom scrolling.

Even harder for us

In America, noticing joy isn’t encouraged; there’s no money in it.

Our economy runs on you and me being dissatisfied with what we presently have. That’s consumer capitalism 101.

All advertising is built around one main task: to create desire, meaning you and I are meant to be dissatisfied with our lives. Nothing in our society is designed for you to notice joy; you’re meant to crave endlessly.

Another significant point is that we can’t show joy in our quarterly earnings. We all work for organizations or companies that are obsessed with upward growth; joy seems superfluous, unneeded, and reserved only for those who have suffered enough to be rewarded.

And this is where joy and worth intersect. If we lack worth, we will struggle to notice joy. Or feel like it’s undeserved. We will take up less space for enjoyment altogether.

1) Noticing Joy counters stress and burnout

Modern Life often defaults to being busy. When joy isn't planned, it's easily forgotten or postponed. Or, worse yet, seen as only for the deserving. Intentionally scheduling joy, making it part of your rhythm, not just a reward after exhaustion. You are allowed, you are welcome to it.

If you don’t schedule noticing joy, feeling stress will schedule itself.”

Scheduled times for noticing joy affirm that joy is essential, not optional.

2) It trains our hearts to notice goodness.

Nothing invites this except the last story on the evening news. You know the story about the kid selling lemonade to donate the money to a cause. It’s like news producers think it erases the last 28 minutes of horror porn from around the world.

When you plan for joy, you begin to look for it and anticipate it. This rewires your brain to expect beauty, goodness, and grace, even in hard seasons—a practice deeply aligned with Christian hope and gratitude.

3. It honors your limits and humanity

You might be saying the work you’re doing is so critical. Jesus came to save the world and had three years to do it. Yet, Jesus took time to eat with friends, attend weddings, rest, and retreat—He modeled a rhythm of joy noticing. When you schedule joy noticing, you're saying, "I'm not a machine; I'm a beloved human."

4. It helps shape a sustainable life of service

Without noticing joy, sacrifice turns into resentment. But with joy regularly woven into your Life, you're more energized, generous, and emotionally available for others.

Life can become an unending slog in service to the powers that be, who want us to remain restless and dissatisfied with our lives. To exert some control, we have to be intentional.

Famously, Christians will proclaim they have joy no matter the circumstances. It’s true that where we can do better is in seeing joy and noticing it as critically important.

I’ll quote the sage advice of Ferris Bueller: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Be well, friends.