Over the past few summer months, I’ve found myself reflecting deeply on the effects of joy in our lives. Not the superficial happiness that depends on circumstances, but the profound, deep-down joie de vivre. This kind of joy is life’s magic elixir, a cure-all for almost any of life’s assaults and ailments.
Happiness is outward. Joy is inward. It’s a subtle yet powerful distinction. Happiness can be fleeting, tied to external events and situations. Joy, on the other hand, is a state of being, a deep-seated contentment that persists regardless of external circumstances.
I’m naturally drawn to people who exude joy in their lives. There’s something magnetic about their presence, a light that shines from within. It’s easy to complain about the little things, to get bogged down by the daily grind. But who cares? Seriously. Complaining doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t bring joy.
True joy isn’t about avoiding problems; it’s about facing them head-on and finding a way through. Over the past eight weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time alone, reflecting on my life. I’ve thought about regrets, unrequited love, mistakes I’ve made, wrongs I’ve never righted—the list goes on. But through it all, despite my own stupidity and naivety, I found, somehow, someway… joy.
Joy is exuberance, elation, bliss, radiance, and perhaps the greatest source of pleasure. It’s the feeling of being fully alive, of embracing life with all its ups and downs. It’s the quiet moments of solitude, the laughter shared with friends, the beauty of a sunset captured through the lens of my iPhone.
As a photographer and teacher, I’ve learned that joy can be found in the simplest of things. It’s in the way light dances on water, the vibrant colors of a flower in bloom, the candid smile of a stranger. These moments of joy are everywhere, waiting to be discovered and captured.
In my journey, I’ve realized that joy isn’t something you find by avoiding life’s challenges. It’s something you discover by moving through them, by embracing the full spectrum of human experience. It’s about being present, being grateful, and finding beauty in the everyday.
So, here’s to joy. To the deep, abiding joy that sustains us through life’s trials. To the joy that comes from within, that radiates outward and touches everyone around us. May we all find our own sources of joy and share them with the world.
It take herculean effort to intentionally be joyous.
But it’s the greatest gift you can give to yourself and the world.
Photography brings me joy. Family brings me joty. Love brings me joy.
Joy to the world!
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