Trust Your Joy.

Joy (n.) is derived from Old French joie “pleasure, delight, erotic pleasure, bliss, joyfulness” (11c.), from Latin gaudia “expressions of pleasure; sensual delight,” plural of gaudium “joy, inward joy, gladness, delight; source of pleasure or delight,” from gaudere “rejoice,” from PIE root *gau- “to rejoice” (cognates: Greek gaio “I rejoice,” Middle Irish guaire “noble”). Joy is an emotion that we can feel viscerally in our souls when experiencing it. Joy is synonymous with delight, glee, happiness, elation, gladness and peace of mind. We know it when we feel it. You optimize for joy and protect your peace of mind by trusting your joy. Most of us nurture unhealthy relationships and lifestyles just because they are all we’ve ever known or done. When you trust your joy, you gravitate towards what makes you happy and set healthy boundaries for whatever drains your energy.

In a recent podcast interview, author Robin Sharman echoed trusting one’s joy. He said:

The discomfort of growth is often less dangerous than the illusion of security. Joy is a great GPS, it is about being around people who you vibe with, people who understand you, have similar values, who support you and encourage you to become a better version of yourself.

In his 2015 University of Houston Commencement Speech, Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey delivered an inspiring speech in which he described the difference between Joy and Happiness.

Aim for Joy

“I just want to be happy.” I hear that all the time. But what IS happiness? Happiness is an emotional response to an outcome — If I win I will be happy, if I don’t I won’t. An if-then, cause and effect, quid pro quo standard that we cannot sustain because we immediately raise it every time we attain it. You see, happiness demands a certain outcome, it is result reliant.

If happiness is what you’re after, then you are going to be let down frequently and be unhappy much of your time. Joy, though, is something else. It’s not a choice, not a response to some result, it is a constant. Joy is “the feeling we have from doing what we are fashioned to do,” no matter the outcome.

Personally, as an actor, I started enjoying my work and literally being happier when I stopped trying to make the daily labor a means to a certain end — I need this film to be a box office success, I need my performance to be acknowledged, I need the respect of my peers.

All reasonable aspirations but truth is, as soon as the WORK, the MAKING of the movie, the DOING of the deed became the reward in itself — I got more box-office, more accolades and respect than I’d ever had before. See, JOY is always in process, under construction — it’s in the constant approach, alive and well —in the DOING of what we are fashioned to do… and enJOYing doing it.

If happiness is what you’re after, then you are going to be let down frequently and be unhappy much of your time. Joy, though, is something else. It’s not a choice, not a response to some result, it is a constant. Joy is “the feeling we have from doing what we are fashioned to do,” no matter the outcome.

Meditations

Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt – No Mud, No Lotus

No matter how fortunate we are, we will always encounter suffering. On this journey, there will be setbacks, losses, heartbreak, and uncertainty. When these difficulties arise, it is often our instinct to avoid and evade or to run or hide. But when we try to escape suffering, we only prolong and intensify it. Instead, we must learn to gently be with our pain by working through whatever is causing us difficulty.

When we face discomfort and live through it, our hardship can be a source of growth and transformation. No Mud, No Lust is a metaphor that alludes to the birth of a lotus flower. The Lotus begins its life in muddy water below the surface of a pond. Gradually, the pod pushes through the murky darkness, reaching up towards the surface rippling above. In time, it rises up from the water and displays its petals to the sun and the flower’s vibrant beauty is revealed.

And just like the lotus must push through the muddy darkness before it can bloom, we must often push through our suffering to grow and find inner peace. It is hard to recognize amid the discomfort. There is value in fighting through adversity. When we can touch suffering without being broken by it, we hurt much less.

Our difficulties are instrictable on this journey—no Mud, No Lotus. If you face your challenges with courage and move through them with gentleness, adversity can offer growth and wisdom. Beyond the pain of this moment and the murky darkness, there will be space for warmth and light.

“Transformation isn’t sweet and bright. It’s a dark and murky, painful pushing. An unravelling of the untruths you’ve carried in your body. A practice in facing your own created demons. A complete uprooting, before becoming.” – Victoria Erickson

Daily Jay with Jay Shetty – Overnight Success

Overnight Success is a myth. There is a story about the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso:

Picasso was walking through the market one day when a woman spotted him. She stopped the artist, pulled out a piece of paper and said, “Mr. Picasso, I am a fan of your work. Could you please do a little drawing for me?”

Picasso smiled and quickly drew a small but beautiful piece of art on the paper. Then, he handed the paper back to her, saying, “That will be 30,000 dollars.”

“But Mr. Picasso, it only took you thirty seconds to draw this little masterpiece,” the woman said.

“My good woman,” Picasso said, “It took me thirty years to draw that masterpiece in thirty seconds.”

Often, when we witness a result, we fail to understand or appreciate the effort that went into it. In todays world, we see all of this so called overnight successes but in reality, there is no such thing. Whether it is a first-time author, a breakthrough band, or a buzzy brand, when they burst on the scene, it is easy to assume they are new to the game. We assume that they are naturally gifted or posterous lucky or both.

But while someone may have just published their first book, released their first album or launched their first product, they have probably been labouring for years. Writing multiple drafts, performing in local clubs or refining their design. While talent and luck might have played a part, it is short-sighted to discount the work. Still, we tend to perceive that other people’s journeys are straightforward, and that gives a false impression of what’s required to make it.

It can also make us resent the success that others have experienced or view them as undeserving. Although sometimes it can feel like you are toiling in obscurity in many ways, the time we spend and the effort we expend make our achievement truly meaningful. Effort over time is what gets us to success.

Daily Trip with Jeff Warren – The Reframe

There is an automaticity to the way that we experience emotions. Without thinking about it, we say, “I am feeling anxious,” and then we go into a familiar loop of judgment and reaction. But if we can get a little bit curious and explore our experience, we may find other valid interpretations. This can offer both relief and empowerment. We realize that emotions don’t only happen to us, they also happen with us.

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