Joy to Your World
It is in the grand contradictions of the deepest soul that great moments of life are afoot.
—Craig D. Lounsbrough, The Eighth Page: A Christmas Journey
Lights, baubles, action! Welcome to December, the month of perplexing incongruities. The sweetness of shortbread filled events versus the sour frustration of a few difficult personalities arriving for annual visits. The magic of twinkling adorned trees against the lingering, stinging heartache grief of love ones departed. The comfort of listening to nostalgic tunes contrasted by determined voices pitted against one another dueling for who is most right and wrong. Packages circled with ribbons of merriment paired with taxing anxieties from life’s bundles of financial and relationship challenges that don’t take time off during the holidays. Humming “Joy to the World” prompts the question: How will you find joy during this season of contradictions? Here are a few ideas:
- Remember to reconfigure joy not as an absolute but rather notice the cumulative effects of incremental deposits in your happiness account: breathing in cool night air, savoring a memory from childhood, sipping a peppermint treat, adding an extra flannel to your wardrobe, surprising a neighbor with baked goods, recalling a time of joy with a friend and spontaneously calling them to relive this shared joy.
- For holiday gatherings, prepare three (3) note cards with the words “Person” “Place” and “Thing.” Place them face down the center of the table. Each guest is invited to take a turn by selecting one of the three cards. Depending on which card they pick, they will describe the person, place or thing that brings them joy and why.
- As the Grinch experienced, his heart grew three times its original size when he witnessed the Whos down in Whoville singing. Play holiday favorites and sing along and your heart may will grow as well.
- Read: A fantastic conversation with the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu on creating, embracing and living a life of service and joy.
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World: Lama, Dalai, Tutu, Desmond, Abrams, Douglas Carlton: 9780399185045: Amazon.com: Books
Joy doesn’t simply plop itself on the platter of our consciousness nor inhabit our activities. We can’t buy it on Amazon or drill for it in some mythical well of happiness. No, perhaps experiencing joy is a quiet expedition within each of us.
A quest for joy is like an archaeological dig, requiring an essential tool called “patience” used with a diligent, intentional focus to find joy. Delicately or with force, we need to brush away stressors wearing attitudinal lenses to allow feelings of contentment to be seen by your heart.