What a refreshing read! Clarkson helps readers who may be feeling like their life is lacking in happiness turn their sadness into joy with lots of laughter along the way. A perfect read for anyone who needs encouragement and happiness in their life. Highly recommend.

Aggressively Happy by Joy Marie Clarkson is a breath of fresh air. The author describes the purpose of joy and the many reasons for it. I particularly loved the way the author explains what joy really is. It is so much more than superficial happiness. True, God given joy is deep and rich and so worth pursuing. Amazing read! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I’m kind of torn with how I feel about this book. At times, I found Aggressively Happy somewhat difficult to connect to, and in the beginning it almost felt like it was written for middle grades or high schoolers. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t reading a theological book and it probably wasn’t supposed to be that deep, but as it progressed, it became a lot more insightful. After the finished the book, I did find out that the author is a doctoral candidate at the Institute for Theology, Imagination, and the Arts…so knowing that she teaches theology, I do think it could have been better edited in the beginning, as the second half was a lot better. But too often I found myself alternating between “oh wow, I really love that line, I’m going to write it down!” and “Hmm, I’m not sure that I agree with that.” I was able to glean a lot from the book, it just didn’t become an instant favorite like I expected.

I was able to get Aggressively Happy as an e-arc and read it right away. But each time I try to write a review I have trouble feeling like I can adequately express the heart of the book.

See, being “aggressively happy” as @joynessthebrave writes about it is not about naively or blindly refusing to see reality or just plastering a smile on your face and white-knuckling through. Instead, Joy argues for several approaches to seeing the world in the larger perspective of gospel reality. Being aggressively happy is about facing the hardships of this world and choosing to really live. This type of joy is not a fluffy or naive response but one that takes endurance and determination.

The framework of each chapter ranges from topics like “Befriend Sadness” to “Be Like Mr. Collins” and each chapter ends with examples of the topic in stories, music, and visual art to contemplate. “Flounder Well” and “Tell Yourself a Good Story” were two of my favorite sections.

Because Joy shares experiences from much of her early adult life, this book would be very easy for someone in a similar life stage to relate to. But much of what she points to are things that people experience and have to decide how to respond to all throughout life, and so her message isn’t just for one life stage.

This book is precisely what the world so desperately needs right now. With the perfect combination of delightful anecdotes and thoughtful discourse, Joy awakens us to the power of real joy found only in Jesus and shows us how to live and live abundantly.

As a rather melancholy soul myself, I connected to Joy from the first page. Her deep sensitivity to sorrow and joy, her struggle with depression, her search for purpose and meaning—these are all things I am intimately familiar with. On nearly every page, I found myself saying, “Yes! Me too.”

With wisdom beyond her years and a refreshing zest for life, Joy showed me how to reconcile the paradox of joy and sorrow. “…this is life, the beauty and the pain together,” she says. “A glorious sunrise coexistent with deep emotional pain, the utter brokenness of the world. One doesn’t make the other untrue.”

Sometimes I have felt like I shouldn’t be happy either because there are so many people suffering around me or because I’m afraid to enjoy the good times because a bad time is sure to be around the next corner. But you know, that isn’t a healthy mindset, and it ends up destroying you in the end.

Joy presents an alternative. One that allows you to embrace the fullness of joy and sorrow together. Instead of vouching for a kind of toxic, superficial positivity, she invites us to discover alongside her the deep, abiding joy of the gospel. It’s the kind of joy that doesn’t shy away from the shadows, the untouchable parts of life. It’s the kind of joy you must intentionally pursue with everything in you. It’s the kind of joy that is strong, sturdy, and indestructible.

“Tend to your sadness so that it becomes a source of deeper love and deeper joy, not deeper pain,” she says. “Good sorrow heals. . . . the vulnerability of joy is two breaths away from the vulnerability of sorrow.”

Joy’s way with words is exquisite. Her style was so imaginative, personable, and captivating. Her infectious humor drew me in right away! Between her lovely prose, heartfelt message, and soul-deep stories, her personality spilled out onto every page, and I loved it. I feel as though, if we were ever to meet, Joy and I might be kindred spirits.

It’s hard to say which part of the book was my favorite, because every single chapter resonated deeply with me. I must say though, Joy did manage to entirely change my view of Mr. Collins, which is not an easy feat because “My good opinion once lost is lost forever,” as the charming Mr. Darcy once said. Suffice it to say I appreciate his enthusiasm for the little things a little more now! And after reading her section on Dostoevsky, I am thoroughly inspired to indulge in a wild researching spree on him. His story nearly brought me to tears.

It’s rare I read a nonfiction book as thoroughly wholesome and delightfully enchanting as Aggressively Happy, and yet Joy managed both. As I put the book down after the last page, savoring what I had just read, I felt a sort of fragile weightiness and awe. This, I thought to myself, is a masterpiece. And one I will be returning to over and over again.

Are you feeling weighed down by the things in this world, my friend? Then this is a book worth reading. It will comfort you that you are not alone in your struggle. It will give you the tools you need to pursue joy utterly and completely in the midst of a world that is falling apart. Most of all, it will reignite your resolve that this indeed is our time. This is our time to change the world. This is our time to be ambassadors for Christ. This is our time to truly live. Could there be any better time than now?

“I realize I do not need to be reminded that the world is dark and difficult; I am well aware, and very tired. What I need is a vision of goodness so bright that it lights the path ahead of me, keeps me faithful, and makes me brave.” –Joy Clarkson

Aggressively Happy, is a realist guide to believing in the goodness of life. As told from the sweet and unique voice of Joy Marie Clarkson, this book is so full of hope.

At the end of each chapter you get recommendations of what to read, what to watch and what to listen to based on the chapter title.

Joy Marie shared stories from her own life as well as those from the bible. She gives you interesting ideas on how to fight for your happiness. For example, " expect the end of the world" and to "befriend sadness".

This well written book is a reminder, that life isn't always sunshine and rainbows, but we can learn to carry the good with the bad.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joy Marie Clarkson and Bethany House for a copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

HAPPY READING!❤

Joy has written a beautiful book on happiness that has really helped me to retrain the way that I think. Life happens, but joy and happiness can still be found. It fed my soul throughout the entire read. So thankful for hearts like Joy’s that can speak life into the lives of others.

I will have to reread this and see what I think of it during normal times, but this review is based on my having just read this book while simultaneously reading My Name is Asher Lev and dealing with my second round of the Virus Which Shall Not Be Named. So basically, I read this book while I was not exactly feeling like a butterfly on a spring afternoon. It was just what I needed to remind myself that the world hasn't fallen apart and that all shall be well.

I kept repeating (and am continuing to remind myself), "You are not a machine. You are a garden." Others in my household are fatigued post-virus and while reading this, I have started reminding them that they are not machines either. I cannot taste or smell but my inner Clarkson said, "but you can still SEE. Go buy more flowers. Frame a new piece of art." And so I did.

Not only would I recommend this book to the general populace (maybe it will appeal most to women), I ordered a copy for both myself and my bourgeoning teen. I plan to reread it and compare notes with her. I can imagine it will benefit us both in our respective seasons of life. As is the case for pretty much every other Clarkson book I own, I'm sure I'll be referring to this one frequently in the years to come.

I love Joy's outlook on life and happiness. It is something I need in my life for sure and could benefit from. I love that she wrote this book to help others. This challenges my thinking. Plus I just love Joy's writing style. It is so lovely and beautiful.
'
'

Thank you Netgally and Bethany House for providing a copy of Aggressively Happy by Joy Marie Clarkson in exchange for an honest review.

Aggressively Happy was a sweet, hopeful book full of funny quips and gentle advice. I appreciated the book and podcast recommendations that were given in each chapter. Joy Marie Clarkson has a unique voice that is both wizened mentor and contemporary hot mess. She injected positive energy into every page and I felt refreshed after reading. This book was a nice uplifting break from the heaviness of social media and newcasts.

This is a beautiful, hope-filled book that compels the reader to believe that God is good and there is goodness in the world if we stop and look. I love how the author shares her story and also at the end of each chapter gives recommendations to see, listen and ponder.

I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the journey to discover true happiness, her grappling with her faith and in the end discovering true happiness/joy comes from Jesus. As a Christian, almost everything in this book is relatable from her questioning faith to how she struggled in the beginning to live a truly happy life through the peace and joy only Jesus can offer.

Could there be a better book to read right now than Aggressively Happy? I don't think so! Joy Marie Clarkson tells us how to find the best in any situation. Finding happiness despite what the world can throw in our way. Highly recommend this feel good book!

This is a very timely book. And the subtitle is important; it really is a realist view that even takes mental illness into account.

"It wasn't a life lesson or a piece of great advice; it was a realization, an epiphany: this is life, the beauty and the pain together. A glorious sunrise coexistent with deep emotional pain, the utter brokenness of the world. One doesn't make the other untrue. This is always the bargain. If you get one, you get the other."

"There is such a thing as toxic positivity, a compulsive need to look on the bright side that lends itself to a perpetual denial of the real, deep difficulties of life. A happiness that ignores pain, injustice, and brokenness is not worth having. But a happiness that can stand tall, look life in the eye, and smile anyway? That is well worth the fight. And a fight it must be. Patching together a joyful life takes far more effort than submitting to the soporific lull of cynicism. Cultivating happiness takes grit, determination, and a good sense of humor. It's a lot of work."

The chapter on our human limitations is particularly poignant. "Self-care is a realization of the limits of the self, a hearkening to the fundamentally contingent nature of being a human. It is not closed in a little bubble of selfishness, but a gentle, trusting acknowledgment that God is God and I am not. When you rest, you tell the truth about the world."

"By all accounts, the period of relative domestic stability in which most people reading this book have grown up is a historical anomaly. We might have the mistaken idea that we should wait for a more stable era or season to pursue a good, beautiful life, as if it is inappropriate to live well if the world is falling apart. The opposite is true. The world is always almost ending. But so what? It always has been. Life is lived there, poised at the end of the world."

Each chapter is particularly wonderful in its own right. The suggested books, films and music for contemplation are lovely. Be encouraged! Definitely read this one.

This is a very helpful gem of book. It helps you to face life in a positive way as it advocates to rise above your circumstances and to not be a victim. I can really relate to it because of being disabled and physically limited but refusing to live life as a victim. This book offers many practical ideas to cope with life by choosing to cultivate joy and wonderment.

It's 4 a.m. I've just finished Aggressively Happy. My fingers are itching to type and my heart feels full to bursting. I feel absolutely absurd likening myself to Joy Clarkson in any way, I mean, she is intellectually superior, her credentials far outreach my own. However, the words she wrote in this book somehow were shockingly like reading something I had written about myself. Only in all honesty, I don't know that I have the self-awareness and simultaneous skill to put words to all of life like she has here. Be that as it may, I feel this odd compulsion to hand a copy of this book to people who have struggled to understand me my whole life, and say, "Here. Read this. This is how I feel about everything."

The title comes from an internet troll. I personally love when a wholesome influencer is able to take vitriol from the abyss and turn it into something positive, rather than letting it silence them. Someone attempted to insult Joy with the derision-filled comment, "You're aggressively happy." Joy found it fitting and ran with it. And here we have a book full of powerful musings about what it means to be truly happy in the face of real life.

The book is spiritual and poetic and extremely vulnerable, but in a way that is not scandalous, just true. This book is...complete. It feels perfect. I want you to read it. Whatever your expectations are for it, it will outshine them all. could say so much more, and I will when I have a finished copy that I can share excerpts from. But for now, even in its unfinished state (hello eARCs), this is already my field guide for navigating my life. I know that sounds like a lot, but it is what it is. I needed these words to know that I'm not alone. Now that I have them, I will not forget them. Thank you, Joy. For shining a light on your corner of the world, thousands of miles from me. That light has illuminated corners of my heart that were shadowed.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. Aggressively Happy is OUT TODAY!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+❤
A forever favorite.

Joy Clarkson is a phenomenal wordsmith. She has mastered the rare skill of being able to communicate dense and complicated ideas through clear and comprehensible language. This excellent book showcases her ability to pull wisdom from many theologians and great thinkers throughout history, drawing connections between ideas from the past and giving clear applications to the modern life. I found this book to be both edifying and encouraging. A must read.

I loved Aggressively Happy even more than I expected to; and my expectations were high to begin with. Clarkson pushes back against the despair and cynicism so prevalent today by examining what it could look like, what it could mean, if we each sought to cultivate happiness in our lives. What impact could we have in our own spheres if we each lit a candle in the darkness, insisting on the inherent goodness at the centre of life? This isn't a saccharine, Stepford kind of happy. It's a happiness that is fought for, that is clung to in defiance of all of the brokenness that threatens to overwhelm us. With her customary combination of wit, whimsy, and gravity Clarkson posits a series of practices (or stances or foundational beliefs, call them what you will) that offer her reader a way forward, a path amid life's triumphs, tragedies, and general vicissitudes, that just might enable you to, as she quotes from Wendell Berry, "[b]e joyful though you have considered all the facts."

Aggressively Happy
A Realist's Guide to Believing in the Goodness of Life
by Joy Marie Clarkson
Pub Date 15 Feb 2022 |
Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers
Christian


I am reviewing a copy of Aggressively Happy through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:


We live in a world that can be exhausting, despairing, and cynical. But the good news is that we don’t have to be.

Instead of a life full of cynicism you can unlock the power to a happy life--an act of defiance that will make you more resilient in times of turmoil, pain, and chaos. Cultivating happiness takes grit, determination, and a good sense of humor. It's not always easy, but it's well worth it.



If you are looking for a book that reminds you that you can find joy in a world that is often full of cynicism, then Aggressively Happy is the book for you!


I give Aggressively Happy Five out of Five Stars!

Happy Reading!

This book is filled to the brim with hope and practical optimism for believers. Our lives are short, and Ms. Clarkson wants us to believe that finding joy and happiness is perhaps nowhere near as complicated as we make it out to be. I thought the chapter on being like Mr. Collins was an unexpected delight! But "Believe in God" and "Accept love" were my absolute favorites, I think in part because those chapters reflected on God's character the most, and what that means for believers as they navigate this complicated, broken world. This book is filled with well-written anecdotes and beautifully crafted sentences about the truth of the Gospel, and I am grateful that I got a chance to read Joy's words before the books drops mid-February!