MaryamsJoyfulLife Blog – Don’t Let Anybody Steal Your Joy
What’s up, my wonderful, amazing, sweet, and lovely people? How are you all doing today? I truly hope you’re having an amazing day. Even if things feel a little off or a little heavy, just know—you are still welcome here, and I’m so glad you showed up.
Welcome to MaryamsJoyfulLife! Today is a beautiful day, and I’m so thankful you’re here with me. You all are incredible, and I’m excited to share what was placed on my heart.
So today, while I was live—praying and encouraging people on my YouTube channel—this thought came to me, and I knew I had to share it:
People who constantly try to remind you of your past… belong there. In the past.
Let that sink in.
There are people who will bring up the things you’ve already outgrown. Not because they’re celebrating your growth, but because they want to keep you tied to a version of yourself that no longer exists. They’ll remind you of your struggles, your mistakes, your lowest moments—not to uplift you, but to pull you back down.
And honestly? I don’t even care to understand why they do it.
Because here’s the truth: they belong there.
Think about the world we’re living in today. Look at how much progress has been made. We have the ability to connect with people across the globe, to encourage, to build, to create—right from our phones. We have access to knowledge, tools, and opportunities that generations before us could only dream of.
Why would we choose to go backwards?
That’s like seeing all the blessings, growth, and advancement around you and saying, “You know what? I’d rather go back to the Stone Ages.” That makes no sense.
But that’s exactly what some people are doing emotionally.
They’re choosing to stay stuck in their past—holding onto pain, replaying failures, clinging to hurt—and then trying to spread that same heaviness to others. They want you to feel what they feel. They want you to carry what they carry.
But listen… nobody has time for that.
I don’t want to live in pain.
I don’t want to sit in brokenness.
I don’t want to be surrounded by people who refuse to grow.
I want to be around people who are living, building, creating, and finding joy. People who see the beauty in life. People who are moving forward, not looking backward.
And more importantly, that’s the kind of person I choose to be.
So today, I want to encourage you:
If you are around people who constantly drag you back into your past… let it stay in your past.
You are not your mistakes.
You are not your lowest moments.
You are not the pain you went through.
You made it through—and that matters.
Don’t allow anyone to make you feel like your growth doesn’t count. Don’t let anyone convince you to live in a place God already brought you out of.
Some people choose to stay broken. Some people choose frustration. Some people choose to remain stuck.
Let them.
But as for you—choose joy.
Choose peace.
Choose gratitude.
Choose growth.
Choose life.
Because the truth is, we are emotional beings. What you focus on, you will feel. So if you keep focusing on what broke you, you’ll keep feeling broken. But if you focus on where you’re going, on what you’re building, on the blessings in your life—you’ll begin to feel that too.
I’m grateful for my past. I’ve learned from it. I’ve grown from it.
But I’m not living there.
And I refuse to let anyone pull me back into a place I’ve already been delivered from.
So today, make a decision—for you.
Surround yourself with people who are moving forward. People who are goal-oriented. People who are creating something meaningful. Not people who complain all day, feel entitled, or spread negativity everywhere they go.
This life is about choices.
You can choose to be free.
Or you can choose to stay stuck.
But don’t ever let someone else’s choice to stay stuck become your burden to carry.
Protect your peace. Guard your joy. And don’t let anybody steal it.
