I have to admit that this week when I saw the theme scheduled I thought to myself….”Hmmmm…. Joy???…Hmmmm….” Reflecting on the last week in our own country and around the world – events that bring such sadness, grief, confusion and more – Joy felt far away. And in my own body, a virus snuck in, asking me to rest, rest and rest some more. My usually quite energetic mind and body really felt this foreign visitor taking all its energy. The virus found it’s way to my eye as well so it was especially fascinating that my eye was continuously tearing – a constant cry.
Joy???? The more the idea roamed around in me as I was resting and as I began recovering, the more I knew the answer: Yes. Joy.
Joy is one of those things that asks for our attention. It’s so easy to miss it. And when we’re on the lookout, we can find it in the smallest places and in the tiniest ways. If we’re really aware of it, we might even see and feel it in the middle of sadness – it can creep in by seeing and connecting with things like kindness, hope, generosity, love or compassion.
People are often pursuing happiness in a way that’s exhausting. It’s as if they think that anytime they aren’t happy, they are unsuccessful – they must be doing something wrong, even failing.
Joy really just wants to be noticed. It wants you to tune into it and feel it and know it. It wants you to look for it and find it and see it. It might be in nature, appreciating the color and/or wonder of the plants, flowers, tress or animals. It might be in the simple pleasures of your day – the smile of a stranger, the sunset, waking up in a comfortable bed, a hug, a conversation, the laughter of a child, the delight of a dog fetching a thrown ball, connections & conversations with loved ones or even strangers, something inspirational you read about or hear and on and on and on.
It’s true that sometimes Joy feels very far away. And when it does, it does no good to try to pretend we’re feeling it or try to will ourselves to see it. If we’re feeling hopeless or in a state of sadness or grief, we can’t simply jump to Joy. If we try to get there too quickly, we usually just end up feeling worse – judging ourselves and thinking we ‘should’ feel it so why aren’t we? Or sometimes we might even feel that we won’t ever see Joy again.
Instead of forcing things when it is especially distant, you can rest in the awareness of Joy. It’ll be there when you’re ready. And when you are ready, take a step toward it, even if you can’t make it all the way.
Being able to connect with Joy can make a difference in your daily life – finding the things that bring you Joy and making it a practice to tune in there and feel it. The more you are aware of Joy, the more you’ll find.
And I know that when we’re aware of Joy, we are connecting with something even more powerful. Everything is energy. Everything. This includes each thought we have. When we connect with Joy, that’s the energy we are cultivating – sending out. It can be confusing and even wrong to feel joy in the midst of tragedy and sadness. It’s not wrong. It’s actually something that each of us can do when we can’t do anything else. The world needs our Joy right now. It needs our Joy more than ever – definitely more than our despair or hopelessness. Find the Joy, feel the Joy, emanate the Joy in any way you can – perhaps even in the midst of continual tears.
This week you’re invited to be aware of Joy in any way you can – no matter how close or far you are from it. Where do you find it or see it or sense it?
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