I mourn for those who do not allow themselves to feel joy on a regular basis, if ever. I do not believe that we are here to punish ourselves. If you are not in a place that promotes peaceful joy, then what can you begin to change? How can you establish boundaries to protect your joy? What can you do to begin promoting it, not in a boisterous or showy way externally but in a pure and sustained way internally. In order to avoid the prevalent habit of counting problems, can you begin to count your blessings, finding joy in them?
Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
-Karl Barth
The most effective way to cultivate joy in our lives is to practice gratitude. The key word here is ‘practice’ … So often we think that joy makes us grateful, when in reality it’s gratitude that brings joy.
-Brené Brown
We often think that if we only get this, get there, or get to do that, then we will be happy. It is a race where the finish line is always moved further and further away. Chasing this feeling on the outside is going to leave us unfulfilled and seeking more forever. Finding it and cultivating joy on the inside can go with us everywhere and prove to be everlasting.
Joy is not in things, it is in us.
-Charles Wagner
It should not take much for us to find and feel the simple joys in life. Modern day society wants us to believe that we need the latest technology and fanciest clothes and cars in order to find and feel joy. All of these material distractions will momentarily satisfy the space that is empty or incomplete within us, but they will not maintain that joyous fulfillment for long. There may be rare exceptions to this case, but, in general, I believe we can and should be happier with less. We should learn to love life as it is. Without embracing the present moment as a present, how can we ever feel full and complete?
With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow – I have still joy in the midst of these things.
-Confucius
All of the hardships I’ve gone through in life – I can appreciate life so much more because of that. I remember not having food, so to me the joys of life are a lot simpler than other people would assume they would be.
-Viola Davis
Finding joy in the midst of the struggles and difficulties can prove to be quite a struggle and difficulty in and of itself. However, I am now fascinated by this challenge. This shift in mentality permits me to reframe my perspective on whatever it is that I am dealing with. Sure, the problems in my life will still cause a doubt and fear or two to bubble up from time to time, but I now have a counterpoint or two to balance them out. Therefore, I can simultaneously acknowledge the pain of my past while allowing the joy to quell it at last.
Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.
-Joseph Campbell
If and when you have the chance to look back and reflect upon your life prior to your passing, what do you want to recall and think about? All the days of struggle and strife, or all the times you found, chose, and channeled a limitless joy inside you? The answer seems rather obvious to me. Perhaps with such joy, we can simply choose to stay present as we proceed peacefully past the veil. The journey will continue; onward we will sail.
I have a burden on my soul. During all my long life, I did not make anyone happy, neither my friends, nor my family, nor even myself. I have done many evil things… I was the cause of the beginning of three big wars. About 800,000 people were killed because of me on the battlefields, and their mothers, brothers, and widows cried for them. And now this stands between me and God.
-Otto von Bismarck
I believe a well of inner joy is always available to any and all of us. It is not limited to the rich or elite. In fact, I think many of them are frequently further from profound inner joy than the rest. In my opinion, there is no need to waste time looking at the lanes of others out of jealousy or envy. Your lane has so much joy ready and waiting. Can you find it?
Will you accept it?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.