Have you ever experienced a moment of pure joy? I have. They tend to be short, unexpected and somewhat intense, and I almost feel a sensation of warmth envelop my heart. They are fleeting and don’t last long, but when I experience it, I recognize it as joy.
Joy is different than happiness. Joy is something felt deep inside. Happiness usually has to do with our circumstances. And when the circumstances change and happiness wanes, we often start the search for the next thing to make us happy.
Some of the joy bursts I’ve heard about and experienced myself are holding a newborn baby for the first time, seeing a rainbow after a summer storm, receiving an unexpected letter, text or message from a friend, or the first shoots of a flower or plant appearing in the spring. It often has to do with a feeling of connection to something, someone, or nature.
When I have those joy bursts, I feel a connection to God and myself that sometimes takes my breath away. They are random and always unpredictable. Which is good. If I could manufacture them on my own, I probably would not get anything done because I would always be trying to produce them.
But what I have discovered is that the more I practice gratitude (there’s that word practice again-see my post from last week) the more opportunities I have to feel joy.
I’ve often read that joy and gratitude have a direct link. I tend to agree with that based upon my own experience. Ever since I started the practice of writing five things each day that I’m grateful for, the more joy bursts I have had.
I also think, at least for me, another component that has increased how often I experience a burst of joy is practicing letting go. The more I’m able to let go of expectations, outcomes, and control, the more space it creates inside for a burst of joy to breeze through.
So today, my hope for each of you is that you experience and recognize a burst of joy in your life. When you do, I hope you share it with someone.
Because we all need more joy in our lives.
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