Joy

Bay of Islands, New Zealand

It is sometimes difficult to feel joy amidst the dreariness of everyday life. Life also seems to be filled with death, disappointment, ill health, and unease. We seem buffeted by the cycles of desire, fulfillment, and frustration, happiness, unhappiness, elation and depression. Even our bodies seem to have rhythms which we cannot control. Sometimes our happiness is accompanied by a sense of dread that it is impermanent and that unhappiness is just around the corner

Just below the surface of the endless cycles of happiness and unhappiness, there is a joy that transcends our cycles. It is our true nature. There is a feeling of joy that we can experience even in the midst of great sadness. Joy is a different feeling than happiness. It is a sense of aliveness that permeates all living things.

We experience joy by not believing the stories that we are constantly telling ourselves and instead turning our attention to the present moment. When we are present, a calm washes over us and the things that seemed so important seem almost silly.

Let's release all of our beliefs about ourselves and surrender to joy.