It’s easy to confuse happiness with joy. Happiness fluctuates with life’s circumstances. Joy resides deeply inside of us, capable of shining light into the darkest situations.
To me, joy is more than an emotion. It is an outlook, a mindset, a tender view of the world from the perspective of the heart and soul. It is not daunted by the ups and downs of our daily struggles, but braces us against them with confidence, hope, and love.
With joy, it is easier to have a positive expectation of the future and enduring faith that everything is going to be okay.
Can we hold on to joy in challenge times? I believe the answer is yes. With the right outlook, our darkest times provide a beautiful opportunity for joy to shine its light not only in our own lives, but in the lives of other. From Aristotle to Joseph Campbell, Maya Angelou to Yoda, philosophers and poets across the ages tell us that in our darkest moments we must focus our attention to see the light.
Joy is not dictated by our circumstances. Instead, we must notice and cultivate joy within our circumstances. The more we notice joy, the more fulfilling life becomes — especially when faced with adversity.
When things look grim, look for ways to grow as a result of your circumstances. Look for opportunities to be generous with others. Look for ways to express gratitude, inward and outward.
Personally, I find joy in spending time with my family, creativity, journaling, play, long walks, nature, yoga, reading, games, cooking, prayer, meditation, spiritual practice and a wide variety of music and dance.
I expereince joy in the creativity of others, patterns, seasons, animals, languages, and butterflies. Stories of all kinds — written, spoken, imaginary, or real — help me find joy. Above all, laughter and love with friends and family is the most joyful bouquet of my life. ❤️
