What happened to joy? It is still out there, it has to be, doesn’t it? It may take a good sermon to jog your memory, but surely words like gratitude, appreciation, and awe count for something.
We tend to focus on the opposite of joy, which isn’t too surprising when the news focuses exclusively on anxiety, stress, sadness, unprecedentedness, disinterest, and mental health.
It takes a lot of effort to find joy, and if you wait too long you may miss it altogether. Don’t be like photographers or artists who only want to record perfect moments. For most of us, life is made up of a series of simple, quite ordinary, and not very memorable events.
What if ordinary isn’t ordinary at all? Can you learn to find joy in simple things? Try looking beyond the ordinary. It won’t be easy. We have all been conditioned to believe that if something isn’t “extraordinary” it doesn’t count for anything.
Wouldn’t you rather wake up in the morning thinking that joy is just around the corner? You can, if you train yourself to be creative, to be joyful. Your first job is to understand that creativity isn’t just about artistic talent. It is more than that, it is a special awareness that helps you recognize that the ordinary can be beautiful too.
Take ageing for example. It is hard to think of ageing as being extraordinary, or something to be joyful about, but it is, because not everyone gets to do it. We are so lucky.
Schedule joy into your life. Start by making a “joy” list. Come on. Surely there are some joyful things that you want to do, Let me give you a few examples. How about meeting friends for lunch, walking your dog, reading the classics, or not. What about sipping a mocha latte, taking a class or joining a group? You are never too old to enjoy something new.
Last but not least, be good to yourself. Stay physically active, nurture social connections, keep your mind sharp, and prioritize self-care. Smile a little and let some joy into your life.
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