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The Greatest Source of Joy
By karen | April 22, 2008
WHAT IS THE GREATEST SOURCE OF JOY IN LIFE?
That is the question that I recently received. Joy does seem to be a predominant theme here. My daughter tells me that Joy is my favorite word. The rock in my garden that says “Joy” gave her that idea, I’m sure. I always say “Reach for the Joy” and often sign off with “Joy and Blessings”.
And that is intentional. I believe that we are here to experience Joy, to be Life experiencing Life, to find Joy, Bliss and Happiness. I do not believe that any of us are sent here to fix our substandard natures or to repair our dysfunctions. I do not believe that we are here to pass a multitude of tests or to participate in elaborate rituals that are designed to get us back to heaven.
No.
Life is Now. And Living Now is where we will find our Joy.
So back to the question at hand. Well, on the surface of course, the source of Joy is different for everyone. You may feel joy as you pet your cat or play with your dog, but since I’m allergic to cats and my dog is old and not so playful anymore, that doesn’t work for me. You may feel Joy as you ski down the mountain in the winter or my preference is actually to be pulled behind the boat on skis in the summer. I had a friend once who felt great Joy jumping out of airplanes and another who found Joy in scaling the mountain as he climbed.
One person’s source of Joy, may be another’s source of terror!
You can find Joy in creative pursuits, photography, painting, writing, quilting, knitting and the list there can go on ad infinitum.
Joy can be found in achievements and accomplishing big dreams and goals.
If you are really blessed you find Joy in your work. I often feel Joy as I write. Of course, it never feels like work, even when technically it is. I love it. It’s fun. It’s pleasure. It’s Joy.
Maybe your joy is found in your family, friends and those you Love. My children bring me great Joy. One look from any one of them followed by an “I love you, Mommy” and my heart melts with Bliss.
And as many have discovered, Joy is often a wonderful byproduct of giving to others.
So the answer on the exterior is that the greatest Source of Joy is as variable and different as we are. We are the ones who must find our Joys in Life.
The really wonderful thing is that Joy is a wonderful and unique experience for us all.
But underneath the surface, I think we do have something in common when we feel true Joy.
True Joy comes to you when you get past your mind, past your ego, and back to your heart and soul.
True Joy comes when you are connected. When you are connected to YOU.
What that means is that you are connected to your highest self, your own Inner Being, and the part of you that is connected to God, or the Universe, or the “Source of All That Is“, the “Energy that creates Worlds” (Call it what you will, it matters not the name).
When you are connected to the creative Energy of the Universe that is when you feel true Joy.
When you are connected to that Source, you feel Joy and Love and that Joy and Love is extended to everyone. One truly connected to the highest Source will not hurt another.
Our true natures are Love. Our true natures are Joy.
True Joy feels like enthusiasm, exhilaration, happiness, comfort, ease. There is no room for doubt, no room for fear, because you are connected to the highest part of YOU. And when you are in that place of Joy, you know that your life is right where it needs to be. This is your moment, this is your Life.
Joy can’t be felt in the future and it can only be remembered in the past. True Joy can only be experienced in real time.
Now is the only time you can have the experience of true Joy.
So Reach for the Joy.
Joy and Blessings to You and your Life.
In Honor of Earth Day, Read the Tribute from 2007.
It still applies. Go Green!
This post is included in the
Personal Development Carnival: Issue 37
on April 27, 2008. The carnival is located at
The Next 45 Years.com.
Popularity: 11% [?]
Topics: Personal Development, Living the Power, Gratitude and Appreciation, Real Life |
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:49 am
Many of us get too busy to stay in touch with this truth! Thanks for the joyful reminder!
Lexi
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:56 pm
What a wonderfully simple and insightful message on finding joy and living in the present! A great read!
April 22nd, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Yes, I think realizing my true life purpose as my Higher Self makes all the difference in finding joy. There was a time in my life when I had everything money could buy and was feeling miserable. I now have less, but I feel joy in so many things - in fact, I feel joy within myself and that joy reflects on so many things around me.
Thank you for a wonderful post.
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Hello Karen, I love your article.
Just can’t resist wishing you the same….Joy and Blessings to You too!
Hugs,
Evelyn
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:36 pm
It was obvious that you were feeling joy as you wrote this, Karen. Thank you.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:28 am
Your comments about joy being now remind me of a quote by Krishamurti:
“The moment you are asking if you’re happy, you’re not.”
I’ve had different experiences of joy, but the ones that were truly profound were moments of joy that I didn’t know I had experienced until later on when I reflected back on them.
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Hi Karen,
Yep joy is the meaning of life. How could it be anything else? I’m with you all the way on this one. When I recognize my joy life just gets simpler, easier and more glide-like. In fact I have recently purchased the domain name, joyfulglide.com. Don’t ask me why. I’m not sure yet. It just felt good. Life can indeed be a joyful glide.
Enthusiastic blessings,
Tom
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I honestly wish I had that great sense of joy…
Jay
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Jay,
you prompted me to comment instantly! I wish you that great sense of Joy too. It is there. It is within you, connected to YOU…just like the post.
Maybe you could spend some quality time doing something you love, feel some gratitude and get closer…it is there, I promise!
*******
Tom,
JoyfulGlide.com….sounds very cool! Some kind of serendipity there..how fun to see how it will play out!
*******
Chris,
I received this quote just this morning from Abraham
“It doesn’t matter what anybody else is doing with their vibration, it only matters what you are doing. You cannot desire something—and notice that it isn’t coming—without offering two contradictory vibrations that won’t let it come.”
Abraham-Hicks
Same as what you said!
*******
Rick,
Thank you. I really have been feeling extremely happy lately…really in the Now and the moment.
It’s been wonderful! (I’m really wanting to write here again too…not worrying about where my writing may take me, just enjoying it here and now!)
*******
Thank you Evelyn.
May you have great Joy today too!
*******
Akemi,
Isn’t that a wonderful thing? You find your true self and the things that don’t really matter fall away.
*******
Ken,
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
*******
Lexi,
Yes, sometimes we think we are too busy…when in all actuality when we stop to appreciate our lives become so much more productive!!
*******
Thank you Everyone who has submitted a comment. I appreciate every single word. (Usually get back here sooner to answer but this comment was nice for me because I got to enjoy and appreciate everyone)
April 27th, 2008 at 7:35 am
[…] The Greatest Source of Joy by Karen Lynch […]
April 28th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Karen,
Great article. I often find that when I take a moment to “be present” that the feelings of joy accompany it and for that I am always grateful.
Thank you,
tbea
May 6th, 2008 at 12:24 am
[…] 2nd carnival on Engaged Spirituality: Engaging Resistance Published 05 May 08 05:20 PM | Beth Patterson This postcard was copied from StarLightWalker’s post: Obstacles. While StarLightWalker received permission from Steve Sorensen, the artist of the beautiful website Nana Gaia to use this photograph, I did not ask. I trust it is acceptable to use for this purpose. I had all good intentions of writing a passable post on resistance on the Virtual Tea House for this carnival, but I didn’t do it. I’m trying not to complain these days, but I’ve been really busy. Who isn’t? No excuses…but there are some reasons, and they’re mediocre in quality. Call it resistance if you must. I resemble that! I did a word search on the Virtual Tea House for the word ‘resistance’ and came up with about 10 posts made by me or other bloggers on the site, including 2 that you’ll read written specifically for this carnival from Rosemerry and Holly. I think that means that either I have a lot of resistance, or all the bloggers on the site do…or maybe we’re just a good cross-section of the population! So here, without further ado, are the posts sent to me or to the blog carnival site, on the topic of Engaging Resistance for our spiritual development. Photo copied from StarLightWalker’s post on Obstacles. Not sure where he got it, but it’s a good ‘un! Helen Mildenhall on Resistance and Spiritual Engagement on Conversation at the Edge As one of the community members quipped on the comments to Helen’s post… ” a great description of the community here at Off the Map, religion resistors that we are!” Patti Digh on 37 Days submitted 2 posts: Become You and Follow Your Desire Lines. Patti is a soul-full writer whose blog is about “what would you be doing today if you only had 37 days to live?” Holly Holbrooks’ blog on the Virtual Tea House is a sweet and deep one. She wrote this post for the carnival, “Resistance–Love It” about finally moving through a terrifying block to talk with an uncle. “We often think of resistance as a bad thing, a natural tendency that we try so hard through conscious living to let go of. We try to not try. And sometimes it saves us, when we learn we can just float instead of thrash around in the water.” Holly’s on her way to medical school in the fall–hope she’s the one with the listening heart when it’s my time to face the abyss. Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s blog on the Virtual Tea House is also a sweet and rich one. On Being an Organic Farmer and the Futility of Resistance explores what it takes to roll with the punches of nature. By the way, Rosemerry’s poem, ‘Cartography’ was a finalist on Prairie Home Companion’s “Bed of Roses Love Sonnet Contest” this past February! The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard, is not overtly about resistance, but is ALL about resistance. Her team gave permission to use anything on their site for this carnival. “From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. Many thanks to all of you sincere and prolific bloggers out there who submitted posts to the Blog Carnival site! I had to cut the list of submissions off at the deadline of April 25th because there were so many submissions by the deadline. For those of you who submitted after the deadline, there’s another edition coming out in early July. Here are the offerings that have the most to do with the engagement of our resistance on our spiritual path. These posts use nature or exercise metaphors about how to work with resistance: StarLightWalker presents Obstacles posted at StarLightWalker, saying, “A lesson in purpose of obstacles and why resisting them may not be the best strategy.” kitty presents Make Like a Plant and Move Toward the Light posted at Brave New Kitty. SamSherpa presents Animal, mineral, or vegetable? posted at Road to PleRoma, saying, “Hey, this is an older post from my blog that sits in happy obscurity. Hope you guys may find it interesting.” Rich Vosler presents Pruning makes growth for new life posted at Sales Training Tips. Donna Bringhurst presents Conscious Flex: Logic of a Miracle: by Nicholas Powiull posted at Conscious Flex, saying, “There are many wonderful “ah inspiring” articles on this website, but I add this one because it is spiritually related.” The following posts use political or historical models of resistance and weave the personal mirrors into the mix: Joel Gruber presents Who Are Your Enemies? posted at Fearless Dreams Personal Development. Phil B. presents Humanity’s Responsibilities « Phil for Humanity posted at Phil for Humanity, saying, “It does not matter if God created man or if man created God.” David Gross presents The Picket Line — 24 April 2008 posted at The Picket Line, saying, “Isaac Sharpless tells the story of Quaker war tax resistance in the colony of Pennsylvania, and gives us the context of Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”” Ian Welsh presents Morality and Health Care in the US posted at Firedoglake. Christine presents Is Marriage Outdated? posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France. These posts explore religious and spiritual resistance. There are several that talk about the laws of attraction. While I’m not a fan of ‘The Secret’, it is providing a catalyst for many to struggle with the resistance of the mind to accept and change, even for the promise of what the heart thinks it desires. Albert Decker presents Witness posted at Resonant Enigma, saying, “To me, a moment of releasing resistance, giving in to ‘what is,’ is what this little piece is about.” Lori Jewett presents Living More Fully - Death as a Motivator posted at Between Us Girls, saying, “Whatever our spiritual orientation may be, death leaves us with many questions but it also provides us with the opportunity to engage more fully with life.” Sanjay presents And They Lived Happily Ever After posted at Quest for Personal Nirvana, saying, “How does resistance within us to our own growth, materially and spiritually, get created in the first place? This article ponders on the villains that we harbor within our subconscious, nurture them and feed them, and which come in the way of our nirvana. It also points a way to tap into the divine intervention that can take us to nirvana.” Gary Evans presents Why Won’t The Law of Attraction Work For Me? , 3 Tips To Install New Beliefs ,d A Secret Meditation for Law of Attraction Followers and How Much Do You Want It? posted at Good To Feel Good. Michelle Wood presents What Is Religion from The Prophet posted at * Spirits In Harmony * finding unity in diversity, “This entry is from one of my blogs, a quote from _The Prophet_ by Gibran…it’s one of my favorites. Hope it fits your theme.” Ella Moss presents Have no fear - God is here and True Purpose of Life posted at ZODIAC TIMES. Lorraine Cohen presents Allowing Your Heart and Spirit to Guide You and Oversimplifying The Law of Attraction posted at Powerfull Living, saying, “Expand your thinking about The Law of Attraction to manifest your desires.” Carole G. McKay presents Patience Through It All saying, “Where we find the greatest resistance to spiritual growth and how to handle it.” Chris Edgar presents A New Perspective On Procrastination posted at Purpose Power Coaching, saying, “This article discusses the connection between procrastination and resistance to the reality of the present moment, and some approaches to dissolving that resistance and regaining your focus.” Warren Wong presents How To Deal With Worrying posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Three steps to help you stop worrying in no time!” Tarakananda presents The Spiritual Process of Making Peace posted at The Atma Jyoti Blog, saying, “This beatitude has nothing to do with people who plead for peace, demonstrate or peace, protest for peace, or in some other way bully for peace. It is about making peace, actually creating peace rather than making a cause out of it. This requires a level of spiritual development that must first be obtained by each individual. So the first step in peacemaking is personal spiritual development.” Robb presents The Weight of the World posted at A Yoga Journey with Robb. Shanti presents Thoughts on Clutter (Part 1 of 3): Why Do We Have So Much Stuff? posted at Antishay Ventenne, saying, “Thoughts on why Americans tend to have so much STUFF, why this brings about unhappiness and dissatisfaction in our society, and on how to see if we can’t find joy in life and living rather than in things (part 1 of 3).” Mike Schwager presents ON THE ART OF COMMUNICATING, AND THE RISE OF DISCONNECTION, In Advocacy of Life - ALL Life and The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth (Part II) posted at PR Straight Talk. hkalchemy presents The Science of Blue Feathers posted at Effortless Wealth and Abundance. Shamelle presents It Doesn’t Cost Much To Consult With God posted at Enhance Life. George L Smyth presents One Minute How-To - How To Become Socially Responsible posted at George L Smyth, saying, “Brant Christopher explains how one hour a month can make a huge difference.” Tim Newbill presents Taking Action Regardless of Mood posted at Conscious Growth.com, saying, “The article helps you learn to choose consciously in the face of resistance.” Alvaro Fernandez presents Peace Among Primates- by Robert Sapolsky posted at SharpBrains, saying, “Anyone who says peace is not part of human nature knows too little about primates, including ourselves- by neuroscientist Robert M. Sapolsky” Astrid Lee presents We Are One World Healing » Claim Your Energy Back: Detach Others’ Aka Cords posted at World Healing, saying, “I first stumbled upon the term ‘aka cord’ when giving a Reiki treatment for a very experienced and knowledgeable healer. At one point during the treatment, I felt the urge to symbolically ‘cut-off’ an attachment to a specific person for her. Symbolically, I held the attachment in my hand as a cord. With my imaginary sword I cut it off, and freed her from the connection…..” Margaret Mary presents Voluntary Simplicity posted at Earthly Paradise. spillay presents Looking at Life?. in 6.6 billion ways posted at A Pot of Gold. ITAKEOFFTHEMASK presents The Law of Attraction and the Key of Transmutation posted at itakeoffthemask.com, saying, “Before one can be transmuted, one must be capable of being formed. Rigidity is the first problem of transmutation. Where one is not willing to be processed and moulded, transition cannot take place. This is the reason why pain sometimes serves a useful purpose to us.” Karen Lynch presents The Greatest Source of Joy posted at LivethePower. Jessica Jones presents My Struggle With Living Purposefully posted at Practical Nourishment, saying, “Living with purpose.” Scott Goolsby presents Stepping Toward Compassion posted at Unapologetic Genius, saying, “Developing more compassion.” That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of engaged spirituality using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page. Thanks again! Technorati tags: engaged spirituality, blog carnival. Filed under: resistance, blog carnivali […]
May 7th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
[…] The Greatest Source of Joy […]
May 13th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
What a joyful article! I’ve been smiling ever since I landed on your page here.
This is such a timely message for me, and I really got a jolt where you wrote: “True Joy comes when you are connected. When you are connected to YOU.” It’s so easy to get disconnected from yourself when you get wrapped up in the stress of day to day living.
If you’re interested, a really good book I’ve found that helps me to remember to be joyful and creative is The Woman’s Field Guide To Exceptional Living by Corrie Woods. I started it on the weekend and just couldn’t put it down. Her joyfulness comes through loud and clear on every page.
Thanks for a great article, and for the joy and the smiles.
Wishing much joy and peace right back at you,
Ruthie