Be Joyful Always???

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. ( 1 Thessalonians 5:23)

This is a verse I read this morning. Wow--be joyful always--give thanks in ALL circumstances...that's tough. As I sat on the couch thinking about it, my mind thought more and more on the last part of the verse--in Christ Jesus. That is the key. If I am focused completely on myself and on my own strenght, being joyful and thankful is completely out of the question. I can't muster up thankfulness and joy over relatively minor annoyances let alone lifes more major difficulties. The ability to look at life--all of it--with a thankful and joyful attitude comes only through Jesus; that is why I need to pray continually. Sadly, I can go through out most of my day without much thought to this. What usually results is a day with out much joy or thankfulness. And I really do have much to be thankful for.
I need to keep this verse in plain sight so that I can be reminded more often.