Noticing How Joyful We Really Are

We are finding that we are more joyful than we might have thought. By allowing our awareness to settle on the conditions which enable or hinder our natural capacity for joy, we are discovering how many fleeting moments of joy we have that otherwise would have gone unnoticed.

This summer's recent heat wave is over, and every so often a cool breeze wafts by, soothing our foreheads, cheeks, necks. What a relief! The moment comes and then is gone, but it is so delicious while it lasts. Then the mind comes back in with all the worries, thoughts, and plans for the day. It is these afterthoughts that we remember when Jenny and I recount our day.

But there are many such delicious moments. Finding a new ripe tomato on our porch plant, listening to the gentle rain outside our window, watching Ruby's delight at sounding out the word "palindrome." And whether we remember them at the end of the day or not, we notice that these punctuating moments of delight nonetheless lend their taste, their flavor, to the texture of our mindset and view, allowing us to be a little more open and spacious.

Joy and Connection

As we contemplate joy, we are finding a strong interplay between the feeling of joy and the feeling of connection. For example, we might be drawn in by a thing of beauty, feel a wave of affection for a friend, connect to the sacredness of a quiet moment, or experience the awe of the summer sky.  Sometimes we are connecting to our bodies through exercise or dance, other times we are participating in a group project that has meaning to us. And somehow, perhaps, we just feel a part of it all.

Yesterday when the temperature reached 104 I decided to take a dip in the local pool. The water was still and blue, and reflected the green leaves of the shade trees above. I was alone and it was quiet. My body soaked up the coolness and the quiet like a sponge. I felt fully immersed. That for me was a moment of joy.

Do we ever experience joy without connection, or connection without joy? We are curious to explore this interplay further, between us and within the larger group. For now, we leave it an open question.

Journey to Joy

When we start a new virtue, it's always thrilling and daunting at the same time. We wonder, "what will there be to say?" Isn't patience just a matter of being able to wait, compassion just a matter of being able to care, joy just a matter of generating positive feeling?

We picnicked in a local park, spring rolls and pineapple and carrot salad, a Metropolitan Opera recital within hearing distance. The air was finally starting to cool after a very hot day. As usual, we didn't so much define joy as talk about when we have felt it and when we haven't, what conditions seem to foster it and what seem to hinder it. This is what we call the ground of joy.  I talked about kayaking and Jenny talked about leading a parade. We talked about times with our family and times with our friends.

Our investigation has already begun to surprise us. We find that for us joy is not incompatible with sorrow; in fact, they can be good friends. Joy seems to be most hindered not by sadness, but by disconnection and alienation. Joy for us involves a sense of freedom, of flow, of connection, and perhaps the feeling that no matter what happens on the surface, deep down there is something basically right with the world.

We look forward to continuing to till the ground of joy.