Defining Joy
We hear a lot about joy these days. What brings you joy? What sparks joy? How can you find joy in strange times? Follow your JOY!
That’s all well and good but what is joy, really?
If you look up the word, you’ll find a definition that sounds something like this: an emotion of elation or happiness brought about by a pleasing event. While that may be one definition, it’s not the kind of joy I’m talking about.
Simply put joy is an unshakeable feeling of well-being and connection to the world and to your own purpose.
This version of joy is not dependent on good things happening to buoy your spirits. It’s something you can hold on to no matter the circumstance. It’s a belief in life and possibility even when times are tough, things go wrong, or goals go unmet.
How do you access this joy and use it to fuel your life? The key here is connection and it starts with connecting with who you really are. It’s in the setting aside of things you’ve been told to want and the person you’ve been told to become that you find who you actually are. That is the greatest gift you can offer the world. Embracing your imperfection and your authentic voice will allow you access to a lasting joy that will fuel you for the rest of your life. Think of it as an inexhaustible internal energy source.
True joy brings with it a calm and a grace that is hard to describe. It allows you to connect with your intuition, your higher self, your inner wisdom. You trust yourself to make the right choices and when things don’t go the way you hoped they would, you learn from them and move on rather than wallowing in the “failure”. In the immortal words of Nelson Mandela, “I never lose, I either win or learn.” This is the embodiment of joy - possibility, belief, and purpose all rolled into one. This is not a worldview that everything is all sunshine and roses all of the time but a belief that no matter what happens you’ll figure it out and be OK.
So how do you connect with yourself in the first place? The answer is intentional action. Some people take up a meditation practice, others read works of great thinkers, some go on a wellness journey, some find it in religion, and others find it through coaching. This, quite honestly, is why I choose to coach. It’s amazing to witness people doing the work to peel back the layers of things that aren’t working for them and get in touch with their internal joy. The changes they can then make in the world are amazing and so full of hope and grace that it’s breathtaking.
I hope you find a path to your own joy. A path that speaks to you and what you feel is right with the world. A path that leads you toward something hopeful rather than away from something you dislike.
The Dalai Lama tells us that “The ultimate source of happiness is within us.” Which means, dear reader, that you get to define joy for yourself. I can think of nothing more personal and authentic than doing so.
So, how do you define joy?
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