That time of the year is upon us –
when everyone talks about JOY. You
get cards wishing you a Joyous
Holiday, you hear songs with the
word JOY in them, and most of all
you are told to "jump for joy."
What is JOY? Ask ten different
people, and you'll get ten different
opinions. Some people say it is a
deeper (higher) level of
Happiness. Some say it's not an
emotion at all, like happiness,
sadness, anger, etc. Rather, it is a
state of being that is outside the
emotional realm. That particular
statement might confuse some people
- How could JOY not be an emotion?
An emotion is invoked by an event
that produces a chemical reaction in
your body, and your brain has
learned, over time, to give names to
those different chemical
reactions. We've come to know what
the chemical reaction for anger is,
and for happiness, sadness, rage,
and so on. I feel that JOY is just a
natural state of being within us,
that it is ALWAYS there, always
waiting for us to embrace it, to
bathe in its exquisite splendor and
bring it forth. JOY is an essential
part of all of us because it lies at
our central core of being. It
represents our connection to the
Divine and resonates with the flow
of the Universe when allowed to
radiate from our hearts.
When we are in JOY we cannot be
in fear and limitation. It permeates
every aspect of our lives and
enhances our unique contribution to
the world, catalyzing our highest
potential to live in our full
magnificence, in harmony and
balance. The resonance of joy and
love can change the world!
For many generations, enlightened
mystics, gurus, spiritual teachers
and even many lay-people who have
trained in meditation, yoga, Qi-Gong
and other types of focus have
stated, from their own experiences,
that a sure-fire way to experience
"real" JOY is to practice one of
these quiet disciplines with great
sincerity, allowing the energy of
the Universe to come into you, and
you will experience the natural
state of JOY. They say that once
you've sipped from the sweet nectar
of pure JOY, you will understand the
difference between it and
body-driven emotions.
Well, all of the above may be
true, or just the fuel for
never-ending debate between
different modes of expression,
experience and philosophy. In any
event, it is delicious food for
thought. For now, just relax and
enjoy the Many Expressions of JOY
listed below. Don't forget to add
some of your own!
Falling in love. Laughing so hard
your stomach hurts. A hot shower.
A special glance. Getting mail that
is not junk or bills. Hearing your
favorite song on the radio. Hot
towels out of the dryer. A
chocolate milkshake. A bubble bath.
Giggling. Thanksgiving at The
Beach. A good conversation.
Finding a $20 bill in your
coat. Laughing at yourself. Having
someone tell you that you're
wonderful! Friends. Falling in love
for the first time. Overhearing
someone say something nice about
you. Waking up and realizing you
still have a few hours left to
sleep. Making new friends or
spending time with old ones. Playing
with a new puppy or kitty. Doing
something you really love and having
someone whom you respect tell you
that you did a good job.
Sweet dreams. Hot chocolate.
Road trips with friends. Getting
hugs after church. Swinging on
swings. Floating in a warm
pool. Watching a good movie cuddled
up on a couch with someone you
love. Wrapping presents under the
tree while eating cookies, listening
to Frank Sinatra and drinking
eggnog. Song lyrics printed inside
your new CD so you can sing along.
Going to a really good
concert. Getting butterflies in your
stomach every time you see that one
special person. Beating your partner
at a really competitive game. Making
chocolate chip cookies - and eating
the cookie dough before you bake
them. Clean, fresh sheets. Waking up
late and thinking you overslept -
then realizing it is your day off.
Holding hands with someone you
care about. Running into an old
friend and realizing that some
things never change. Riding the
best roller coasters over and over.
Watching the face of someone you
care about when they open a present
from you.
A baby's first real
smiles. Seeing a baby's joy at
taking its first steps. A baby's
belly-laugh. Hearing a child say "I
Love You" when you didn't say it
first. Watching children performing
a dance or a play that they made up.
Watching the sunrise. Watching
the sunset. Swimming with the
dolphins. Feeling well again after
you have been sick. Eating your
favorite ice cream right out of the
carton, with a really big spoon ...
in bed. Standing up for peoples
rights! Joy is watching a child
grow up healthy and happy, and
knowing you did your best to protect
them from harm. Joy is answering the
phone and hearing your grown sons
say "I just called to say I Love
You." Joy is getting kisses from
your grandchildren without asking
for them. Joy is listening to either
Louie Armstrong or Ronnie Grigsby
sing "What a Wonderful World."
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"Joy is knowing your
purpose. That you were created as an
expression of God's love to all the
earth. Joy is knowing that you were
designed to be as a rain drop and
wherever you land that place will be
blessed and nourished with the love
of our Creator; God."
-- Pastor Marty McGrail
"If you were all alone in the
universe with no one to talk to, no
one to share the beauty of the stars
with, to laugh with, to touch, what
would be your purpose in life? It is
other life, it is love, which gives
your life meaning. This is
harmony. We must discover the JOY of
each other, the JOY of challenge,
the JOY of growth."
-- Mitsugi Saotome
"Sometimes your JOY is the source
of your smile, but sometimes your
smile can be the source of your
JOY."
-- Thich Nhat Hanh
"This is the true JOY in life,
the being used for a purpose
recognized by yourself as a mighty
one; the being thoroughly worn out
before you are thrown on the scrap
heap; the being a force of Nature
instead of a feverish selfish little
clod of ailments and grievances
complaining that the world will not
devote itself to making you happy."
-- George Bernard Shaw
"During periods of relaxation
after concentrated intellectual
activity, the intuitive mind seems
to take over and can produce the
sudden clarifying insights which
give so much JOY and delight."
-- Fritjof Capra
"JOY is a net of love by which
you can catch souls. A JOYful heart
is the inevitable result of a heart
burning with love."
-- Mother Teresa
"I asked God for all things, that
I might enJOY life. God gave life,
that I might enJOY all things."
-- Unknown Author
"It is a higher joy to teach than
to be taught. It is good to get
justice, but better to do it; fun to
have things but more to make
them. The happy man is he who lives
the life of love, not for the honors
it may bring, but for the life
itself."
-- R.J. Baughan
A little boy and girl
were singing their favorite carol in
church the Sunday before
Christmas. The boy concluded "Silent
Night" with the words, "Sleep in
heavenly beans."
"No," his sister
corrected, "not beans, Peas."
-- Submitted by Rev. Jan Ewers
