Being joyful (full of joy) is a wonderful feeling. It lights us up, and can light our way ahead. Here Joanna Infeld speaks of Joy—what it is, what it can do, and where it may be found.
What and Where is Joy?
Joy is always hovering nearby, but sometimes we are departed from its attempts to inspire and please.
Joy is like a guiding light—when it is present it indicates times when a person’s life is on track—nothing is missing and no desires are unfulfilled. Joy is a settlement and a knowing that all is well.
Joy can be felt in any circumstance; even within the most horrific experiences one can be overcome with joy. Jacques Lusseyran, who was blind from childhood, wrote in his book And There Was Light that even in a Nazi concentration camp there was never a moment when he did not feel joy. He was always able to help others, despite the harsh circumstances of his incarceration. Knowing German, he would eavesdrop on the broadcast of German news that the guards were listening to and pass on the latest news about the Allies’ victories during the last years of the war, thereby bringing hope and encouragement to the other inmates. Jacques believed that helping others is the most powerful way one can connect to the energy of joy.
Joy can come at the most unexpected times—it can seize one without warning or provocation. At those moments it is a reminder that being alive is a precious gift and that one has mighty friends—other people, the planet, the solar system, nature and the universe. Joy lifts a person up into higher energy realms where worry ceases and pain gives way. It is a medicine of the gods that alleviates suffering and causes a person to become noble and rich beyond measure.
Inspirational Joy
Joy has inspired some great works of art, such as the Ode to Joy by Beethoven, a choir piece featured in his Ninth Symphony. C. S. Lewis wrote the book, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life, in which he describes his youthful journey from childhood and loss of his mother, to boarding school in England, to the trenches of World War One and to Oxford, where he made the decision to embrace the Christian faith. Like Lewis, many people associate joy with their belief in a higher power and with their conviction that they are loved and looked after within a purposeful universe.
Joy is indeed often a surprise because it lives in unexpected places. When we pursue it, it often escapes us. But when we are simply happy to be who we are, to be with whoever we are with and to fully be where we are, joy has a habit of materializing in a shower of gratitude and peace. It enhances a person’s day—when it is present, everything looks more beautiful. Colors are brighter, people are more courteous and opportunities unfold before one, as if by magic.
The word joy can also be found in such words as enjoyment and joyful. You enjoy something that brings joy into your life and into your energy field. We enjoy what we love to do; we can also enjoy the results of another person’s creative work, like a book, a movie or a performance. Joy can be found everywhere—in the beauty of nature or in the works of man. The key to finding joy is developing the eyes to see it, the ears to hear it and the sensitivity to feel it.
Joy or Happiness?
Happiness tends to be fleeting, but joy can be a constant companion. It is a state of mind, and it accompanies one’s belief in the purposefulness of Creation and one’s role within it. To enter the kingdom of joy one has a decision to make: does the universe support your life and provide you with everything the human needs to continue living? Or do you live in a hostile universe? Once this fundamental question is answered and you decide you live in a gentle, benevolent and friendly universe, joy will be waiting to join you on your journey through life, wherever it takes you.
Joy comes from the sense of connection to energies bigger and more powerful than us. It comes from universal acceptance, which is always there, but rarely felt or appreciated. Joy connects us to a greater purpose within which we can play a significant part. It confirms our importance and our humanity; it allows a person to learn from the most challenging adversities and to always have hope, no matter what the circumstance.
A Joyful Purpose
With joy, all becomes possible. A joyful person becomes powerful and comfortable in their own skin. They believe in themselves and in the fact that they have a unique destiny to fulfill. With joy there is a sense of belonging—we are here for a reason, not for self-gratification or personal gain. Our joyful tasking is to find out what this purpose is and to align our thoughts, actions and feelings to that purpose.
Joy brings with it the understanding and the acceptance that the planet is our temporary home and that there are other worlds where joy is a way of life. This planet could be a world of joy if each person followed their dream and their calling and filled themselves and their energy field with joy.
Excerpted from Joanna's book A Garden of Qualities - Living a Quality Life (c) 2014, Kora Press.
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If you enjoyed this article you may also wish to read Joanna's writing Beyond Wishful Thinking: The Power of Hope.
And you can find out more about Pathways of Possibility by reading our recent interview on MysticMag.
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