Happy Holidays 2025 | Thoughtful Quote Card with Journaling Prompts!

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Fierce Kindness is all about creating a kinder world—and a kinder life for ourselves. This year’s holiday quote acknowledges the challenges our world currently faces, points out that our world has always had its challenges—and that, to be happy, we must work on transforming ourselves and our own lives.

I first heard this quote over 20 years ago when I was in the middle of my life coaching training—and have been pondering it ever since. I remember railing against the words, yet knowing there was wisdom in them. Just accept the suffering in the world? Just accept the awful things that happen? Find joy in it all? Yeah right!

And yet, living in joy is so important!

But as the years have gone on I have come to realise that, unless we want to spend our life sad and depressed about everything that goes on in the world, “living in joy” is indeed our best option.

Because most of what goes on in the world is wayyyyy outside of our control: war, political instability, economic hardship, violence, environmental/weather disasters. You and I have little influence on the world stage.

But here’s where I disagree with the quote:

I wholeheartedly disagree with the sentence: We are not going to change it.

Because I believe we CAN make a difference. We absolutely can make a difference on a smaller scale: in our families, friend groups, communities, cities—and sometimes more. Especially when you think about the ripple effect of kind deeds!

And I’ll go one step further: I don’t believe that kind and courageous people, like you and me, can be truly happy UNLESS and UNTIL we’re consciously doing something to make our world better.

(And that’s why one of the 4Cs of Fierce Kindness is C – Contribute.)

Instead I believe we can—and should—be the change we wish to see in the world.

And I think you believe this too!

I believe we find meaning and joy by doing what we can to help, and by transforming ourselves and our own lives.

Go deeper with these journaling prompts

So if you’d like to explore your own thoughts about this quote and go deeper, below are some journaling prompts for you to ponder over the holidays.

Here’s the quote again:

Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy. When we talk about settling the world’s problems, we’re barking up the wrong tree. The world is perfect. It’s a mess. It has always been a mess. We are not going to change it. Our job is to straighten out our own lives. Joseph Campbell

Your Fierce Kindness Inspirational Journaling Prompts for the Holidays

What does it mean to you to “live in joy”?
- How could you “live in joy” more in your life?
“We cannot cure the world of sorrows”, but what is the difference you feel called to make?
- How do you—or could you—make the world around you better?
- Where can you ease other people’s suffering or life challenges?
How is the world already perfect?
- What does this phrase mean to you?
- How can you make this phrase work for you and your own thoughts and beliefs about the state of the world?
Do you believe the world is a mess?
- What do you think is not working in the world? What bothers you the most about where our world is heading?
- What do you think is working? What possibilities are you most excited about in our world’s future?
How much influence do you think your actions have on the world?
- What about in your community or city?
- How about in your family, friendships or workplace?
What needs straightening out in your own life?

And wrapping up with some kindness journaling prompts:

Where and when could I be more kind to myself?
Where and when could I be more kind to people I love?
Where and when could I be more kind to people around me in the wider world?

#BeKindAlways

Finally, this holiday season I wish you joy and blessings.

And if the holidays are challenging for you, I wish you peace and comfort.

With love and best wishes,

PS. If you haven’t already, grab your HOLIDAY GIFT: Celebrate. Reflect. Spark! End of Year Exercise in the Fierce Kindness Community here And if you’re serious about goal-setting check out our fresh, updated Annual Goal-Setting Workbook for 2026 here >>

Quote Interpretation Summary

Joseph Campbell said this quote towards the end of his life—in the late 1980s. And 40 years later, we’re seeing more war, more political instability, more divisiveness, more people (esp. in industrialised countries) struggling with economic hardship—and an increase in environmental/weather disasters.

I believe Joseph Campbell is saying: look, the world is a mess—and there’s nothing new there. There is little we can do, so stop worrying about what you can’t control. Instead, “straighten yourself out” so that you don’t add to that mess.

And to take it one level deeper: the best we can do is find meaning and joy in the world’s and your own suffering by transforming yourself.

It’s such a paradox: to find joy despite the mess and suffering in the world. And it’s a big challenge for those of us who are super kind and empathic!

And that’s why I disagree with that one sentence in the quote: We are not going to change it.

We may not be able to change “the world”, but I believe we CAN make a difference. And I believe that kind, courageous people like you won’t be able to “participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world” UNLESS and UNTIL we are consciously doing something to make a difference.

Image of Reindeer and fox friends in the snow by Kalambus via Shutterstock