Finding Personal Joy

Today I am sharing an article that will be published next month.

Inventing Your Life

“Finding Personal Joy”

By

Rob Claudio

Last week I was driving behind a car as we slowly made our way down a long avenue in stop and go rush hour traffic, down a busy avenue.  In front of me, was a car with a white and gray dog that that kept sticking its head out the back windows every time the car came to a stop. The dog would alternate between each window as it would look out and turn back at all of us driving behind it.  At times, the dog was looking back directly at me and it made me smile for an extended period of time, as you could see utter happiness clearly depicted in its eyes.  It relished taking in the sights and aromas all around, as we slowly crept up the street with all of the cars in tow.  Being a bystander and taking all of this in, certainly made my afternoon drive more joyful than I thought it would be.  Soon after I got home, I received some pictures from one of my nephews who had gotten married a couple of weeks prior and although I was unable to attend the wedding, I looked at all of the images that were sent to me that painted another joy filled event.  The photos got more and more vivacious as the celebration transitioned into the reception with lots of happy and silly images from family and friends.  Although I was not present, I could feel the happiness that was radiated by those that were there.  I again found myself smiling while viewing the images and had another recognized moment of joy that was contagious via these photos. In retrospect to my day, I contemplated how I have learned over the years that true happiness can be found almost anywhere, as long as you are open to receiving it in its many forms.  I know that some days it may be more difficult to find those moments, however, think about the residual effect from those instances where you are able to acknowledge it and make it part of your day.  When you forget whatever was troubling you and are able if only for a small juncture to snap out of your original thinking with a smile and proceed with a happier perspective, you become the catalyst for your own change.  Also, there are many things that can trigger a happy feeling, so it is nice to know that we have a long varied menu of things to contemplate that can change our viewpoint.  Whether it is the sound of a child laughing or a favorite song that makes you want to get up and dance as you sing along, the options for joyful moments are plenty.  Ultimately we must remember that the responsibility for the joy we want in our lives lies within us.  Consequently, if you wait for someone else to bring it to you or for the right invitation to arrive, you may be waiting a long time.  Remember to never miss an opportunity to be still and acknowledge a happy instance that you can archive in your memories, which you can access at a future date.  If you have the opportunity to rent a movie that perfectly illustrates this process, I highly recommend the Disney Pixar animated film “Inside Out”.  I can talk about this topic via my own experiences, however, there is nothing like a live illustration that can make it that much easier to fully comprehend. Ultimately, I am sure that you will find that many of life’s simple things, can create the greatest of joy filled moments.  Your strategy should be purposeful in creating that environment on a daily basis.  As a result, the things that make you happy and bring a smile to your face is what you should remember every night as you close your eyes and think about another fulfilling day that you had the privilege to be a part of.    

  

“Joy does not simply happen to us. 

We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” 

― Henri J.M. Nouwen

Stand Up Strong

Many times through out our lifetime we are tested to the point that we think that there is no more strength left in us. I am always amazed that as tired and exhausted as we may have fallen asleep as a result of one's circumstance, with the morning sun comes some energy that we did not know was still in us, as you hear the early chirping of the birds singing a new song for the day to come.  When I walk out of the house at the beginning of the day, I usually listen intently and try to be as observant as possible in what my eyes take in and what my ears can hear. I try to keep my thoughts centered on being grateful as I say a prayer acknowledging that I am still here, as I open up my mind to the harmonious sounds that seem to be orchestrated by nature around me.  I usually drive by the same places through the same path on my way to work, however, I always look for something new that catches my attention while I am en route.  With the changing days and years, every little thing around us that has life in it changes along with us.  Similar to how we all pay attention when we look at ourselves in the mirror in the morning and notice new wrinkles that were not there previously or perhaps your hair turning a different shade of color, none of us is immune to this occurrence.  What I appreciate is that I have lived long enough to be able to sustain these changes and I think about the many who did not have the privilege that we sometimes take for granted.  Our path to where we are today and where we came from is always interesting to reflect upon as well.  When I think about my childhood and what I said I wanted to be when I grew up or where I wanted to live, my recollection of that visualization is not necessarily where I am today.  As much as I enjoy where I happen to be today, I could not have conceived of a lot of this in my youth.  It is very interesting to be a witness to all of this as we could not have written it as a story or a great movie with all of the twists and turns that happen throughout our lifetime.  What I do know is that through every different challenge or new era that I came upon, I had the fortitude and strength to survive and be able to tell the story later.  We all have great strength in us that was inherited or developed as we transitioned from youth to adults.  The great legacy of survival is to not only overcome a challenge, but also to become even stronger as a result.  With our ability to continue to learn from any error that we experience, we are usually able to figure out a better equation to the potential problems that existed.  So, what will our legacy be as a result of this great growth?  Well that answer lies in all of us, as we continue to unravel and develop further and we simplify what the true meaning of life means to us.  Remember that you are still standing as a result of what you have learned and even if you take an occasional tumble, you are capable of dusting yourself off and getting back on the right path with an even stronger outlook and determination.  While we don't know what exactly lies in our future, we can be firm in our belief that we will continue to remain standing strong as we continue to persevere in our efforts to reach our ultimate destiny.