Not long ago I had a conversation with a close friend. During our talk my friend complained that he wasn’t happy. He went on to explain that he had been certain that when he’d earned his first million, he would be happy. When happiness, didn’t come he set his sights on ten million. (We’re talking dollars here.) When $10 million left him feeling empty and unsatisfied, he continued on, seeking happiness through the pursuit of yet more money.
By comparison, I have little money, yet I feel happy most of the time. I’ve spent a good deal of time of late considering this situation and pondering the essence of joy. I thought I might spend the next year or so contemplating, reading, searching and sharing my discoveries about the nature of Joy!
My quest is to understand what it takes to experience joy at it’s fundamental level. I’m speaking of the kind of joy that under-girds and over-arches all else that transpires in our lives. I’ve seen people in abject poverty in the Philippines, who radiated contentment and joy beyond my personal comprehension. I’ve witnessed a very old man, living joyfully beside his invalid wife, despite unbelievable hardship, burden and lonely sorrow. I have seen children in abusive homes, radiate joy, completely unreflective of the difficult lives they are compelled to live. I want to know, what it is, that makes such joy, even in the face of hardship, so radiantly possible.
I don’t have all the answers. I’m not writing here as any kind of authority on the subject. As I blog about joy, I hope others will join in the conversation so all who participate in this project may learn and move toward that fundamental joy that seems impervious to the difficulties and sorrows that are so prevalent in our world.
