In my view…
Joy is not a feeling in the common interpretation of the word.
Joy is a state of being.
Joy is expansive – it is large enough for all emotional states to be present within it.
Anger is not the opposite of Joy.
Joy is not achieved through banishing Anger or grasping for a more desirable emotional state.
Joy is big enough to include and be with all of Anger.
Ditto – sadness, despair, elation, doubt etc…
Joy exists in the choice to not reject any of it, to allow and honour all of it.
Some possible access points:
- Surrender
- Gratitude
- Appreciation
- Love
- Willingness
- Acceptance
And don’t forget breathing deeply and allowing yourself to be a blissfully misunderstood infinitely deep confused slightly crazy grotesquely flawed human being. In fact – I think that bit is essential.
In gratitude to Toni Bonnici for awakening me to this gem…