It's OK to Feel Joy

I have been thinking a lot about joy these past few months. Which has struck me as odd given the state of things in the world. When I dive deeper I can see that where there lies joy, sadness is close by. But we have the choice of which one to hold tighter. During my deep dive, I came across this quote from Pema Chodron, whom I often lean on when I am unsure:

“Times are difficult globally; awakening is no longer a luxury or an ideal. It’s becoming critical. We don’t need to add more depression, more discouragement, or more anger to what’s already here. It’s becoming essential that we learn how to relate sanely with difficult times. The earth seems to be beseeching us to connect with joy and discover our innermost essence. This is the best way that we can benefit others.”

I thought about how to connect to joy, is it remembering our first memory of joy? For me it is riding my bike around the neighborhood as a child. Is it something small in our daily practices? The aroma of our cup of tea. Think about when you have felt joy. I was recently on vacation and my 10 year old daughter and I were playing in the waves in the ocean. We had our hands on the shore line and allowed the waves to push and pull us while we held on. The water was hitting our bellies in such a way that we just kept laughing. This was joy. At one point my daughter got swept by a wave and tumbled up to the beach, water up her nose, sand in her hair. She looked at me for a reaction, unsure of what had just happened. She came right back out and we talked about it. We talked about how the ocean is big and exciting and can be scary. That this is important to remember for our safety. But it also brings us great joy. We decided to create space for the lesson and to create an even bigger space for that feeling of joy. What if we allowed more space for the joyful moments in our lives? And would that allow ourselves to appreciate the joy in others?

Repeat this to yourself:

I allow myself to feel joy. I allow myself to feel the inner joy I was born with. I allow my inner child to play.