I read this a long time ago:
Your responsibility is to create joy."
It was the beginning of my quest to find the joy in life, to create my own joy. I ditched the word "happy", because happy is fleeting; You can be a joyful person all the time though. I AM JOYFUL. There is power in knowing that. I *am* a joyful person though...I'm almost positive most people who know me would agree with this statement.
Joy is something that is there even with suffering...when you are at the hospital grieving for a loved one, there could be a good cup of coffee that just sits well with you...the kind of hot steaming coffee that is a brief respite from what is happening. These moments are *everywhere*....open up...look around...pay attention.
I try to live like this daily. This has been said before, but I really can pop out of bed on a groggy day just for something simple like knowing I have a good tomato to make a sandwich out of for lunch. A new strand of beads that I haven't used yet can send me into a whirlwind of activity and excitement. I like the here and now. I like what I can see, touch, smell, hear, taste. I love things that excite my senses...I seek these moments out..and if they aren't there, I will create them.
When life seems too big...too monumental....too daunting....I look to my senses to ground me. They KNOW joy....they know joy because they have known suffering, so just like me, they pay attention when the joy comes screeching in...or breezing in as if it was always there. Work at it....joy doesn't come easy; but the more you practice seeking it, the more it shows up in your life.
