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Aggressively Happy: A Realist's Guide to Believing in the Goodness of Life
This old world can be exhausting, despairing, and cynical. But you don't have to be.
Instead, 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.
Writer Joy Marie Clarkson leads the way, crafting a case for happiness no matter what you're going through.
"If we accept that life will be full of difficulties and sorrows, we then have two to resign ourselves to life generally being a bummer, or to seek enjoyment, delight, and hope in the midst of (and in spite of!) life's up and downs. To put it You could choose to cultivate happiness, or you could not. . . . I think we should go for it."
Go, therefore, and choose an aggressively happy life.
Instead, 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.
Writer Joy Marie Clarkson leads the way, crafting a case for happiness no matter what you're going through.
"If we accept that life will be full of difficulties and sorrows, we then have two to resign ourselves to life generally being a bummer, or to seek enjoyment, delight, and hope in the midst of (and in spite of!) life's up and downs. To put it You could choose to cultivate happiness, or you could not. . . . I think we should go for it."
Go, therefore, and choose an aggressively happy life.
224 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2022
186 people are currently reading
3580 people want to read
About the author
Joy Marie Clarkson
11 books229 followersJoy Clarkson is a lover of God and people, a crafter of words, and a dedicated evangelist for the soul-enriching benefits of teatime. She studied Rhetorical Communications at Biola University, where she competed on the speech and debate team as a champion of parliamentary debate. Joy is currently working on her doctorate in Theology, Imagination, and the Arts at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she enjoys long walks on the shore of the North Sea and visits to tiny fishing villages. She fills her days with academic research, music making, adventuring, and savoring deep conversations with her soul friends. In her spare time, Joy bakes, sings, reads, writes, dabbles in marketing, adores golden retrievers, and drinks too much tea.
Connect with Joy on website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Connect with Joy on website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews
February 21, 2023
Clarkson's sweet and thoughtful read is written in a compelling style that is hard to put down. It contains some interesting reflections and genuinely helpful advice . . . but I had some provisos before I could recommend it.
1) For having a background in theology, there is very little doctrine in this book. It felt more like a self-help book and Christ figures very little into the paradigm. Honestly, a lot of the struggles with the reality of this world mentioned in this book could have been answered by a few Scriptures.
2). The theology that is here does not always align with Scripture. Clarkson seems to have Catholic, or at least Anglican, flavorings to her faith.
3). Some of her positions on certain topics gave me pause: (she lists global warming as one of the most alarming topics in our current age; which is a worldly perspective. Christian do not need to fear this at all. (https://answersingenesis.org/environm...)
4). A lot of what she calls mental illness could really be extreme spiritual sensitivity - something she does not account for. While the author seems to be interested in the "intellectual high" of theology, there was a kind of obliviousness in regards to the spiritual world, spiritual warfare, etc.
Summary: It was a nice book and had some genuinely good advice. However, I would only recommend it for critical readers and mature Christians who are looking for a sweet supplement, since the absolute substance of our faith - the Holy Trinity - was rather lacking.
1) For having a background in theology, there is very little doctrine in this book. It felt more like a self-help book and Christ figures very little into the paradigm. Honestly, a lot of the struggles with the reality of this world mentioned in this book could have been answered by a few Scriptures.
2). The theology that is here does not always align with Scripture. Clarkson seems to have Catholic, or at least Anglican, flavorings to her faith.
3). Some of her positions on certain topics gave me pause: (she lists global warming as one of the most alarming topics in our current age; which is a worldly perspective. Christian do not need to fear this at all. (https://answersingenesis.org/environm...)
4). A lot of what she calls mental illness could really be extreme spiritual sensitivity - something she does not account for. While the author seems to be interested in the "intellectual high" of theology, there was a kind of obliviousness in regards to the spiritual world, spiritual warfare, etc.
Summary: It was a nice book and had some genuinely good advice. However, I would only recommend it for critical readers and mature Christians who are looking for a sweet supplement, since the absolute substance of our faith - the Holy Trinity - was rather lacking.
February 28, 2022
This little book is a delight. Beautiful writing and storytelling. The author’s quirky, adorable personality shines through the page into a personal presence like that of a dear friend who’s come over for a chat and a cup of tea.
If you are in the middle of a hard season, let Joy Clarkson’s words lift your head and heart.
If you are in the middle of a hard season, let Joy Clarkson’s words lift your head and heart.
August 2, 2022
I have long enjoyed Sarah Clarkson’s writings; most of her books have been life-changing experiences for me. I was curious if I would feel the same about Joy’s, and I’m happy to find that I do. Her style and message is very similar to her sister’s, underlined by the idea that it is necessary for people to decide upon and live out “their own stories.” Earnestly honest, engaging, plucky, and heartfelt—there is much goodness to be found in this fast read of nine essays on the challenges to (and for) being happy in a difficult world.
February 14, 2022
This book is filled with compassionate wisdom. Joy's voice is playful and forgiving. Rather than give us pages full of "musts" and "shoulds" she gives us "cans" and "coulds." I am inspired to think that aggressive happiness is something I could achieve, rather than feeling discouraged, as I so often am, by the sense it is out of reach for me. (Spoiler: it isn't.)
That being said, it might be too much to ask of me to act like Mr. Collins, no matter how persuasive the argument may be.
That being said, it might be too much to ask of me to act like Mr. Collins, no matter how persuasive the argument may be.
April 9, 2022
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 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.
January 27, 2022
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review. I was not obliged to write a positive review; all opinions are my own.
This book was absolutely delightful. I love Joy's writing, which I'm familiar with from both her Twitter (which is the best, just saying) and a book which she wrote with her mother and sister, "Girls' Club", which I adored. So, I was very excited for this book, and it did not disappoint. The writing felt like chatting with a friend.
Pretty much all of her advice is incredibly sound, and I love the way she puts things. The analogies and anecdotes she uses are always very much on point for the point she is trying to make (pun not intended) and I found her insights into human nature very fresh.
The relevant art listed after each chapter was such a wonderful and unique idea, and I was very proud that I'd already seen/read/heard some of them! XD She has good taste, that is what that means.
I loved all of the chapters, but some of my favorites were "Flounder Well", "Tell yourself a good story" (I still am thinking about this one, and it's been about a week since I finished the book), "Accept love", and "Expect the end of the world". The one about Mr. Collins was also really insightful!
I'll be coming back and referring to this book! Joy Clarkson is the best!
This book was absolutely delightful. I love Joy's writing, which I'm familiar with from both her Twitter (which is the best, just saying) and a book which she wrote with her mother and sister, "Girls' Club", which I adored. So, I was very excited for this book, and it did not disappoint. The writing felt like chatting with a friend.
Pretty much all of her advice is incredibly sound, and I love the way she puts things. The analogies and anecdotes she uses are always very much on point for the point she is trying to make (pun not intended) and I found her insights into human nature very fresh.
The relevant art listed after each chapter was such a wonderful and unique idea, and I was very proud that I'd already seen/read/heard some of them! XD She has good taste, that is what that means.
I loved all of the chapters, but some of my favorites were "Flounder Well", "Tell yourself a good story" (I still am thinking about this one, and it's been about a week since I finished the book), "Accept love", and "Expect the end of the world". The one about Mr. Collins was also really insightful!
I'll be coming back and referring to this book! Joy Clarkson is the best!
April 16, 2022
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
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
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
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
February 15, 2022
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.
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.
March 8, 2022
I’ve been supporting Joy on Patreon for two years and her voice there is the same as in this book. She is funny and thoughtful, wise and whimsical. This was a delightful read and challenges the notion that happiness is trivial and that happy people are shallow. Joy roots happiness in the deep, abundant goodness of God and of the world he created and shows through many stories, reflections, etc. that this goodness is worth fighting for and rejoicing in and helps us to know what we are really created for: not fighting or hatred or sin, but delight and wonder and worship and joy.
January 17, 2023
"Maybe you're just cynical and think that happiness is an illusion, a benighted young philosopher taking a long drag on his cigarillo, thumbing his copy of The Stranger and muttering 'Life is pain.' Each passing year of chaos reinforces your suspicions that all happiness in this world is an abnormality, maybe even a defect. You think that if anyone really had a handle on the world, they'd be knowing, tragic, and cynical."
Ha!
I laughed, because I do in fact have a copy of The Stranger on my bedside table right this moment. I read Camus and Nietzsche and Kierkegaard and Kafka and I don't think I realized how bitter and cynical and untrusting I am. In the name of not wanting to be immune to the suffering of the world, I possess a noxious bent toward self-inflicted sadness.
"The world is sad, therefore I must be also."
But as Joy has so gloriously demonstrated here, the world can also be happy. Through her candid anecdotes detailing her struggle with depression, agnosticism, and going off into the world as a single woman, I felt seen and understood.
Enjoy the little things! Create beauty! Choose to believe in God! Accept your finitude! Tell yourself a story! Empty yourself into this world, and Christ will continually fill you.
It's been the perfect transitional book as I've settled into single, solitary life here in Boston. She's given me so much happiness and hope and vigor for the future and I don't know if I'll ever be the same as I was before this book.
A post I've titled "In Favor of Optimism" is sure to visit my blog soon. Thank you, dear Joy, for giving me so much of yourself in this book. It's changed me, and it's brightened my heart!
I will shamefully admit that I'll still read Kafka and Camus, naturally...but perhaps I'll be a bit happier while doing it. ;)
Ha!
I laughed, because I do in fact have a copy of The Stranger on my bedside table right this moment. I read Camus and Nietzsche and Kierkegaard and Kafka and I don't think I realized how bitter and cynical and untrusting I am. In the name of not wanting to be immune to the suffering of the world, I possess a noxious bent toward self-inflicted sadness.
"The world is sad, therefore I must be also."
But as Joy has so gloriously demonstrated here, the world can also be happy. Through her candid anecdotes detailing her struggle with depression, agnosticism, and going off into the world as a single woman, I felt seen and understood.
Enjoy the little things! Create beauty! Choose to believe in God! Accept your finitude! Tell yourself a story! Empty yourself into this world, and Christ will continually fill you.
It's been the perfect transitional book as I've settled into single, solitary life here in Boston. She's given me so much happiness and hope and vigor for the future and I don't know if I'll ever be the same as I was before this book.
A post I've titled "In Favor of Optimism" is sure to visit my blog soon. Thank you, dear Joy, for giving me so much of yourself in this book. It's changed me, and it's brightened my heart!
I will shamefully admit that I'll still read Kafka and Camus, naturally...but perhaps I'll be a bit happier while doing it. ;)
March 18, 2022
If someone had handed me this book I would have considered rolling my eyes. Aggressively happy? But I would have been wrong. This isn’t a book about a naturally happy person telling a sad person how to be happy. It’s a book about how one person finds joy even in difficult circumstances and how we can too. And I think we all could use that right now.
I wept my way through the chapter about accepting the love of God. I’m making plans for who I can gift this book to, and I’ll be okay to receive an eye roll from the recipients.
I wept my way through the chapter about accepting the love of God. I’m making plans for who I can gift this book to, and I’ll be okay to receive an eye roll from the recipients.
July 7, 2022
I just finished Joy Clarkson's book, Aggressively Happy, last night and oh what a joy (sorry I couldn't resist!)! As I turned over the first pages, I recognized the joyful signs of a heartfelt, genuinely hope-filled, and courageously loving book, and it made me smile. It was beautiful and refreshing to one weary soul. I felt like I drank a wonderful cool draft of fresh water on a humid and clammy, hot sort of day. My soul was uplifted and I was reminded that in the midst of trials, disappointments and sorrows, or even the fear of looking at unimaginable evil in the face (and it really feels like the darkness has been pressing in a lot lately!), there is so much pure and exuberant GOOD in cultivating a life of happiness and choosing resiliant joy!
My sister is going to snatch the book from me now that I've gobbled it all up, but she's joking she'll have to wade through my thousand sticky tabs and pencil highlights ("practically the whole book!" she cries in shock). I laugh and tell her once you start highlighting one sentence Clarkson writes, it's really hard to stop. Joy writes so whimsically, elegantly, and naturally - with, as one reviewer, Maribeth Barber put it, a twinkle in her eye! It's felt like I've sat down and had a heart-to-heart chat with a wise sister and friend offering gentle advice and prayerful insight through rich experiences 🌺.
This book has so many wonderful quotes, but I think Joy really sums up her argument on "happiness" so succintly and truthfully here:
“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 like in the eye, and smile anyway? That is well worth the fight. And a fight it must be.”
I want to be in this fight.
I'm currently in an in-between stage of life and standing at the threshold, prayerful, these past months I've felt incredibly restless in the feeling that I didn't know what God wants me to do next, learning to wrestle with the lack of "productivity". Learning to cultivate gratitude in the unassuming, unrelenting quiet and resting moments of one's life demands such faith and trust! Her chapter on Befriending Sadness and Floundering Well met me in that exact feeling of lack and need, where I feel helplessly unfulfilled by my lack of fruitfulness. But praise be God! Jesus is enough and enough for me! Reading her words has been God's gentle gift and reminder all at once! But I think the crowning chapter for me was "Believe in God". This chapter will move you to tears. I don't know how to say it but that chapter touched me so deeply with Joy's winsome, honest and tender account of her doubts and struggles and God's love visiting her in her doubt and grief - it was so healing to my soul.
All in all, I would heartily recommend this happy little book to every Christian pilgrim on their journey of life.
P. S. The Be a Mr Collins chapter was such a daring literary chapter, and if at times a bit contraversial, it was also scandalously happy!
My sister is going to snatch the book from me now that I've gobbled it all up, but she's joking she'll have to wade through my thousand sticky tabs and pencil highlights ("practically the whole book!" she cries in shock). I laugh and tell her once you start highlighting one sentence Clarkson writes, it's really hard to stop. Joy writes so whimsically, elegantly, and naturally - with, as one reviewer, Maribeth Barber put it, a twinkle in her eye! It's felt like I've sat down and had a heart-to-heart chat with a wise sister and friend offering gentle advice and prayerful insight through rich experiences 🌺.
This book has so many wonderful quotes, but I think Joy really sums up her argument on "happiness" so succintly and truthfully here:
“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 like in the eye, and smile anyway? That is well worth the fight. And a fight it must be.”
I want to be in this fight.
I'm currently in an in-between stage of life and standing at the threshold, prayerful, these past months I've felt incredibly restless in the feeling that I didn't know what God wants me to do next, learning to wrestle with the lack of "productivity". Learning to cultivate gratitude in the unassuming, unrelenting quiet and resting moments of one's life demands such faith and trust! Her chapter on Befriending Sadness and Floundering Well met me in that exact feeling of lack and need, where I feel helplessly unfulfilled by my lack of fruitfulness. But praise be God! Jesus is enough and enough for me! Reading her words has been God's gentle gift and reminder all at once! But I think the crowning chapter for me was "Believe in God". This chapter will move you to tears. I don't know how to say it but that chapter touched me so deeply with Joy's winsome, honest and tender account of her doubts and struggles and God's love visiting her in her doubt and grief - it was so healing to my soul.
All in all, I would heartily recommend this happy little book to every Christian pilgrim on their journey of life.
P. S. The Be a Mr Collins chapter was such a daring literary chapter, and if at times a bit contraversial, it was also scandalously happy!
March 27, 2022
More like 3 1/2 stars. I didn't think I was going to like this book when I began it. It seemed more suited to a younger crowd and had some elements that usually turn me off to an author's style.
However, the more I read, the more I appreciated. It's a charming, engaging, relatable read that also manages to pack some quality punches for truth, goodness and beauty. And while I tend to be a complainer about the endless relatability of the current world of Christian living books, I don't want to be too stuck up to enjoy simple goodness or acknowledge moments of insight and correction to my own life in Christ. I think this would be an encouraging, helpful read to many and particularly good as a young women's book study. I do think it would be most useful to the late-teens through late-twenties crowd, but there's likely something for everyone in one of her chapters. It's worth your time.
However, the more I read, the more I appreciated. It's a charming, engaging, relatable read that also manages to pack some quality punches for truth, goodness and beauty. And while I tend to be a complainer about the endless relatability of the current world of Christian living books, I don't want to be too stuck up to enjoy simple goodness or acknowledge moments of insight and correction to my own life in Christ. I think this would be an encouraging, helpful read to many and particularly good as a young women's book study. I do think it would be most useful to the late-teens through late-twenties crowd, but there's likely something for everyone in one of her chapters. It's worth your time.
February 25, 2022
This book is like a vending machine for happiness. Select any chapter and you’ll find some delightful and probably familiar truth: well-packaged, savory or sweet, ready to eat. Just like Joy’s voice on Twitter, this book was charming and hospitable. A good audiobook companion for me and a cheerful alternative to the self-pity to which I am prone.
October 8, 2022
A joyful but realistic and honest little book :)
Some takeaways:
- "be more like Mr Collins" is a really really hard sell, but somehow I'm convinced! This is very impressive.
- I often think in terms of "preaching to myself" but rarely in terms of "telling myself a good story", which is much nicer (and I think harder to get right but more effective if you do?)
- I particularly enjoyed the chapters on the acceptance of the reality of suffering and grief and giving yourself away.
- Occasionally the lightheartedness was a weakness - I wouldn't give this book to someone currently in real deep suffering, even though Joy clearly has really suffered herself, and the focus on her own experience meant that some chapters didn't work as well as others (for example, her chapter on "floundering well" - whilst a great title! - almost completely passed me by because my experience of floundering is very different to Joy's) but mostly I think those things made the book very readable and a very happy experience.
Some takeaways:
- "be more like Mr Collins" is a really really hard sell, but somehow I'm convinced! This is very impressive.
- I often think in terms of "preaching to myself" but rarely in terms of "telling myself a good story", which is much nicer (and I think harder to get right but more effective if you do?)
- I particularly enjoyed the chapters on the acceptance of the reality of suffering and grief and giving yourself away.
- Occasionally the lightheartedness was a weakness - I wouldn't give this book to someone currently in real deep suffering, even though Joy clearly has really suffered herself, and the focus on her own experience meant that some chapters didn't work as well as others (for example, her chapter on "floundering well" - whilst a great title! - almost completely passed me by because my experience of floundering is very different to Joy's) but mostly I think those things made the book very readable and a very happy experience.
October 13, 2022
I really want to give this one 3 1/2 stars. I liked it, but I have reservations.
This book is good food for thought -- as I really do believe that most Christians today feel the feels of life and are less interested in how the Gospel directly applies to life and living. This book does not actually take the reader to the Gospel to explain that we're to 'count it all joy' but rather is Clarkson sharing her personal take with some Bible verses thrown in.
I really appreciate the Clarksons as a family and have learned much from them. That said, I do disagree with them in theology. Joy also questions, "How can God be good if bad things happen to good people?" She answers this question and overcomes her doubts but, all the same, she gives in to temptation to ruminate on the hardships a little more than I think is healthy.
I'm not a huge fan of this book and wouldn't put it into other people's hands willy nilly, without disclaimer! But it's not a bad book to chew on if you're in the right mental space.
This book is good food for thought -- as I really do believe that most Christians today feel the feels of life and are less interested in how the Gospel directly applies to life and living. This book does not actually take the reader to the Gospel to explain that we're to 'count it all joy' but rather is Clarkson sharing her personal take with some Bible verses thrown in.
I really appreciate the Clarksons as a family and have learned much from them. That said, I do disagree with them in theology. Joy also questions, "How can God be good if bad things happen to good people?" She answers this question and overcomes her doubts but, all the same, she gives in to temptation to ruminate on the hardships a little more than I think is healthy.
I'm not a huge fan of this book and wouldn't put it into other people's hands willy nilly, without disclaimer! But it's not a bad book to chew on if you're in the right mental space.
February 9, 2025
I've been following Joy's work for awhile and have been working my way through an advance copy of this lovely book. I'm not quite finished with it yet, but I wanted to share my thoughts here, now that it's officially out in the world.
This book is a gem. It's full of practical ways we can fight back against the dreariness of everyday life, and the cynacism that is so quick to creep into our souls. But it's more than that, too. Joy's stories are full of honesty about the relatable struggles she's had to find happiness--sometimes because life took a really hard turn, and sometimes just because she was hangry. But we've all been in both of those places, haven't we? And, as she argues in the book, a happy life--a life where our joy is a blessing and haven to those around us--is worth fighting for.
I am savoring this one.
This book is a gem. It's full of practical ways we can fight back against the dreariness of everyday life, and the cynacism that is so quick to creep into our souls. But it's more than that, too. Joy's stories are full of honesty about the relatable struggles she's had to find happiness--sometimes because life took a really hard turn, and sometimes just because she was hangry. But we've all been in both of those places, haven't we? And, as she argues in the book, a happy life--a life where our joy is a blessing and haven to those around us--is worth fighting for.
I am savoring this one.
September 29, 2022
This is one of those books that I felt I read when I needed it most. I was skeptical of what Clarkson might say, that it might be just theories that sound nice but in practicality are far out of my reach.
But no, she writes in a very relatable style and I was so encouraged by reading this book. I wish I would have had it two years ago when I was really struggling with cynicism in light of recent world events. I feel like Joy and I have very similar souls, which made this book feel so personal to me.
Highly, highly recommend for anyone.
But no, she writes in a very relatable style and I was so encouraged by reading this book. I wish I would have had it two years ago when I was really struggling with cynicism in light of recent world events. I feel like Joy and I have very similar souls, which made this book feel so personal to me.
Highly, highly recommend for anyone.
March 16, 2024
Um livro inspirador e realista. Joy (não é maravilhoso que este seja o nome dela?) nos ajuda a ajustar a visão e nos deslumbrar com coragem neste mundo caído. Todos os ensaios são muitíssimo bem escritos. O texto é fluido, leve e alegre. As indicações de leitura, apreciação artística e música, ao final de cada capítulo, enriquecem todo o conteúdo. Apenas uma observação de que a Joy, assim como toda a família Clarkson, aparentemente vêm de uma tradição anglicana. Embora não apareça tanto no livro, temos alguns lampejos disto ao longo do escrito. Eu AMEI demais a leitura e já quero colocá-lo na fila de releituras. Minha real nota pra o livro é 4,5 estrelas.
January 24, 2023
This is the kind of book I wish I'd have written. It reflects much of my own goals and aspirations, but this book expresses those in sprightlier, brighter ways than I've done.
Part of me wants to say she's too chirpy, too glib about being happy. But she's not a Pollyanna, and she's very aware of the world's darkness around her and in her. This book is a way that she focuses on light instead of shadow.
One of my favorite aspects of the book are the lists at the end of each chapter. The lists recommend works of graphic art, music, and written resources for further exploration. I also loved her portrayals of Ireland and the British Isles.
I have to say I liked her words more than I was prepared for, but I still don't agree with her call to be like Mr. Collins.
Part of me wants to say she's too chirpy, too glib about being happy. But she's not a Pollyanna, and she's very aware of the world's darkness around her and in her. This book is a way that she focuses on light instead of shadow.
One of my favorite aspects of the book are the lists at the end of each chapter. The lists recommend works of graphic art, music, and written resources for further exploration. I also loved her portrayals of Ireland and the British Isles.
I have to say I liked her words more than I was prepared for, but I still don't agree with her call to be like Mr. Collins.
August 8, 2023
When I first heard about this book, I had an inkling I’d need it. And after months of waiting to pick it up, once I finally did, it was exactly what I needed.
I laughed. I smiled. I wept. And I’m convinced Joy is a kindred spirit.
This book spoke to the locked up part of my heart. The thoughts unspoken. The buried heartbroken journal entries. The memories better off forgotten. The whole messy thing called life.
This book steps away from “good Christian” platitudes and allows for realism & honesty & hope. It made me squirm (in a good way), and I walked away feeling braver, less alone, and with a perspective I didn’t have before. 😭💛
I laughed. I smiled. I wept. And I’m convinced Joy is a kindred spirit.
This book spoke to the locked up part of my heart. The thoughts unspoken. The buried heartbroken journal entries. The memories better off forgotten. The whole messy thing called life.
This book steps away from “good Christian” platitudes and allows for realism & honesty & hope. It made me squirm (in a good way), and I walked away feeling braver, less alone, and with a perspective I didn’t have before. 😭💛
February 15, 2022
Life is hard... yes, and... there is joy and happiness to be had. These past few months have been hard. Lots of stresses and an unexpected death of a friend. I was thankful to get an advanced reader e-book from the publisher to review. I am very much looking forward to re-reading and marking up my hard copy. I highly recommend this book.
I often wax on about learning the challenging dance of moving with grief and joy. Joy Clarkson does a marvelous job inviting the reader in to embrace and learn the rhythms found in this tension. This is an easy read with depth. There are no light fluffy answers, but an invitation to stay present in our life and look and create happiness in the space we find ourselves. Yes, and is a story shared in the book about how improv works. Acknowledging reality and then adding to it. Seeing beyond or embracing what can only be found in that space.
I highly recommend this book. It seems like it was written for such a time as this in our world and many of our lives. It includes much encouragement and many invitations to look for and create beauty.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced e-book copy to review.
I often wax on about learning the challenging dance of moving with grief and joy. Joy Clarkson does a marvelous job inviting the reader in to embrace and learn the rhythms found in this tension. This is an easy read with depth. There are no light fluffy answers, but an invitation to stay present in our life and look and create happiness in the space we find ourselves. Yes, and is a story shared in the book about how improv works. Acknowledging reality and then adding to it. Seeing beyond or embracing what can only be found in that space.
I highly recommend this book. It seems like it was written for such a time as this in our world and many of our lives. It includes much encouragement and many invitations to look for and create beauty.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced e-book copy to review.
April 18, 2024
I will definitely be reading this again so I can tab and underline it to death 😂 This book was full of quotes that made me think, "I must take this and post it on Instagram and hang it on my wall and think about it every day, because this is the answer to living a wonderful life." And now my forgetful brain won't remember any of them until I go back and read it again.
I was disappointed in myself for both waiting and taking so long to read this book, and, yet, every time I picked it up it corelated so well with my life and my own thoughts. This book both challenged me and gave me pause to take a sigh of relief: that I wasn't alone in dealing with my crazy thoughts, that the answers I had been searching for weren't so far from me in the first place. If you haven't read this book yet, I would highly recommend go getting a copy and reading it, even if it takes over half a year, like it did for me ;)
I was disappointed in myself for both waiting and taking so long to read this book, and, yet, every time I picked it up it corelated so well with my life and my own thoughts. This book both challenged me and gave me pause to take a sigh of relief: that I wasn't alone in dealing with my crazy thoughts, that the answers I had been searching for weren't so far from me in the first place. If you haven't read this book yet, I would highly recommend go getting a copy and reading it, even if it takes over half a year, like it did for me ;)
February 19, 2022
I loved this book. I just finished it, and this week has been circumstantially very hard. In my home, 3/5 of us have the stomach bug and between serving my family, I have slipped away to read this book. Partly because I enjoyed it so much, and partly for it’s really good thoughts and helpful ways to reframe my attitude in somewhat crummy circumstances. I feel like I’ve read a lot of books on gratitude and contentment, but this one felt very honest about life’s challenges and approachable in ways to really combat life with joy. I can see as a book I go back to when I need some inspiration and hope in the midst of challenging times. Really, really enjoyed it. Well done, Joy!
PS- I feel like I owe Mr. Collins an apology for the way I’ve viewed him all these years. An unexpected acknowledge after reading chapter 6
PS- I feel like I owe Mr. Collins an apology for the way I’ve viewed him all these years. An unexpected acknowledge after reading chapter 6
June 9, 2022
The author realizes the annoying nature of this title and chose it anyway after being mocked by someone calling her “aggressively happy” in a tweet. She doesn’t shy away from talking about mental illness and other darkness she faces. Yet she treats happiness like an act of defiance in a cynical and chaotic world. Quite different from toxic positivity and shallow happiness, this book points to the deepest well for our flourishing. Full of hope, beauty, and storytelling, this book resonated with me.
February 11, 2022
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.
February 15, 2022
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 book drops mid-February!
January 23, 2022
I truly enjoyed this book and am now a huge Joy Clarkson fan. Highly educated and trained in the theological world, she was able to create a book that read like memoir but offered Christian advice, wise counsel and the story-telling and warmth of a long trusted friend. Aggressively Happy is one of those books that will draw you in and make you feel better equipped to handle the days ahead, both the good days and the bad. Thank you NetGalley for this beautiful reminder of just how beautiful life is.
February 13, 2022
Compassion, hope, humor, and a deep understanding of the importance of true happiness fills the pages of this book.
Joy Clarkson challenges us to take responsibility for our own happiness while encouraging us to listen and respect the limitations of our bodies and the reality of dealing with emotions.
My top three favorite chapters from Aggressively Happy are Flounder well, Remember: you have a body, and Expect the end of the world.
I will be returning to this book regularly and enjoying the continuation of her themes by using the end of chapter art lists.
Joy Clarkson challenges us to take responsibility for our own happiness while encouraging us to listen and respect the limitations of our bodies and the reality of dealing with emotions.
My top three favorite chapters from Aggressively Happy are Flounder well, Remember: you have a body, and Expect the end of the world.
I will be returning to this book regularly and enjoying the continuation of her themes by using the end of chapter art lists.
June 11, 2022
I ordered this book almost as soon as it was released, mainly a result of Twitter peer pressure but also because of the whimsical cover. (To my profound disappointment, the stars are not glow-in-the-dark… I did check…) So into the cart it went, despite the terribly cliché, overly general marketing descriptions.
But when I plucked it off my shelf a few days ago, I immediately built up the usual walls of cynicism. Maybe the cover was too whimsical. Maybe I would be shamed for my depression. Maybe this would be the equivalent of an overbearing extrovert telling an introvert (who loves people, usually, but has a small social tank) to get out there more. Maybe this would be happiness overload and I would be unable to connect with the text, instead wind up feeling alienated and even more cynical than before.
Blessedly, none of those things happened. What I found instead was a rich, honest, beautiful text woven through with witty, vulnerable narrative and solid biblical truths. All those walls I’d secured in preparation for defense came crumbling down (though it took a couple chapters before I fully gave in). In God’s mercy, I felt seen and understood even as I was challenged and called out for some of the unhealthy, idolatrous thought patterns or fears I wallow in on a day-to-day basis. Clarkson is an astute scholar of theology and the human condition, and her knowledge of arts & culture was particularly helpful for me in grasping her analogies / premises. Based on her taste in music and literature, I feel like we’d be great pals, even though I do prefer spicy teas over sweet ones.
I’ll be coming back to this over time and hopefully letting the ideas percolate even beyond the page. Admittedly, the author’s enthusiasm did at times reach levels where my grouchy self was like “ugh,” but there’s a chapter on that so I would do well to listen, heed, and grow through this wake up call to love.
But when I plucked it off my shelf a few days ago, I immediately built up the usual walls of cynicism. Maybe the cover was too whimsical. Maybe I would be shamed for my depression. Maybe this would be the equivalent of an overbearing extrovert telling an introvert (who loves people, usually, but has a small social tank) to get out there more. Maybe this would be happiness overload and I would be unable to connect with the text, instead wind up feeling alienated and even more cynical than before.
Blessedly, none of those things happened. What I found instead was a rich, honest, beautiful text woven through with witty, vulnerable narrative and solid biblical truths. All those walls I’d secured in preparation for defense came crumbling down (though it took a couple chapters before I fully gave in). In God’s mercy, I felt seen and understood even as I was challenged and called out for some of the unhealthy, idolatrous thought patterns or fears I wallow in on a day-to-day basis. Clarkson is an astute scholar of theology and the human condition, and her knowledge of arts & culture was particularly helpful for me in grasping her analogies / premises. Based on her taste in music and literature, I feel like we’d be great pals, even though I do prefer spicy teas over sweet ones.
I’ll be coming back to this over time and hopefully letting the ideas percolate even beyond the page. Admittedly, the author’s enthusiasm did at times reach levels where my grouchy self was like “ugh,” but there’s a chapter on that so I would do well to listen, heed, and grow through this wake up call to love.
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