Practical Joy
We’ve asked why joy. And we’ve defined joy in light of the journey we are taking here on Joy Untainted. Now, let’s get practical.
I love the abstract, but after the ride when my brain has chewed on the intellectual feast, I’m left asking - what’s for dessert? Otherwise code language for - what is the practical application of all these things??
I believe exercising joy is a choice. Let’s break that down.
Joy is a state of being. And typically, as humans, we have the agency and ability to chose for ourselves how we want to engage with a situation long-term. In a moment, I may feel intense happiness or immense sadness. I may feel burning anger or deep resentment. But after the moment has passed, we have a choice to continue to see situations in light of our emotion, or to allow the healing and reconciling power of joy’s undercurrent to fill our empty wells and spurt up into refreshing and cleansing springs.
Herein lies a fundamental characteristic of joy - it doesn’t erase our pain. It doesn’t erase our sadness. It heals our wounds and sews our broken hearts. It keeps us afloat in the roughest of seas and remains our hopeful light at the end of a long dark tunnel. It sustains.
Joy is sustaining.
Joy is healing.
And with this understanding, we can begin to let joy speak in our lives. We can look at ourselves in our mirrors and say “This trial is not my story. It’s not my identity.” We can speak that truth to ourselves, and let it work its way back into our hearts. #1: Speaking joy into our lives.
We can begin to look for the good hidden in the bad in order to make space for restoration to take place. Each little victory can be celebrated, taken hold of, and cherished like a diamond. And when we remember the little things through daily reflection, journaling, or expression in song or word, we begin to see that joy is more accessible than we realize. #2: Celebrating and expressing joy in the little things.
Lastly, sharing. I think we underestimate the power of shared struggle and encouragement. There is something restorative (and ultimately joyful) in mutual fellowship - in hearing and being heard. In this way, the struggle and the healing that joy brings become something that we share with someone else, that we can voice and feel becoming true in our own lives as we see the transformation that it brings to others. Transformative joy is contagious. #3: Letting joy bubble over onto those around us as we grieve and heal together.
Joy is a state of being.
Joy is expressive.
Joy is celebratory.
Joy is contagious.
We do joy an injustice when we relegate it to a fleeting emotion. There’s something powerful about a joyful soul, one that rejoices in peace and in tribulation. One that feels the worth of their soul in the sunshine and in the rain, one whose life becomes worth living because of the healing that is taking place in their lives.
Joy is transformative. But only if we’ll let it do its work.
Let’s intentionally exercise joy. Let’s decide that this path we walk is one grounded in a transformation of mindsets, understandings, perspectives, and priorities. Let’s choose freedom from circumstances and speak truth into our lives that can only unlock the door to experiencing real joy in what life has to offer. That’s just one more step towards joy untainted.
Joyfully yours,
Bel
periodt!!!