Finding Joy, Revisited

More than 10 years ago, I wrote a blog post about finding joy.

I think now is a good time to revisit this topic, as the world definitely needs a dose of joy. I really need to focus on finding joy in a world that is chaotic and out of control. People are stressed. People feel they have no control. Kids are home from school for weeks. Businesses are closing. People are urged to stay home. Hospitals are overrun with real or suspected coronavirus patients.

As I have grown older, I have spent more time searching for, and doing, the things that bring me joy. Being happy, and doing the things that make me happy, are of great importance. A friend recently mentioned that I look happiest when I am on safari in Africa (or traveling elsewhere). That is completely accurate.

What is joy, anyway? One dictionary defines joy as "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation." What brings us joy, of course, can vary considerably from person to person.

For me, joy isn't found in possessions, but in experiences and feelings. I like having nice possessions, but while they may provide comfort and a certain amount of pleasure, they don't bring me joy. I have never been someone who has to have the newest or fanciest car, or the latest camera or cell phone. I like the things I have, and I am content to keep them.

My idea of joy is:

• Being retired and without daily obligations, allowing me to set my own schedule. 
• Being able to stay in bed as long as I want (or until my dogs get up).
• Being able to take a nap if I feel like it.
• Putting on my robe, drinking a cup of hot tea and reading a book on my Kindle, and holding the world at a distance for even a short time.
• Traveling to new places, camera/s in hand.
• Spending time engrossed in a book 
• Revisiting some of the many digital photos I have taken during travel to so many amazing places
• Listening to a favorite piece of music over and over again because hearing it once just isn't enough.
• Studying a beautiful photograph and trying to learn how to improve my own photos.
• Listening to Leontyne Price or Charlotte Church hit those incredibly high notes in some of their songs and being in awe at the magnificence of their voices.
• Working on a piece of writing, manipulating the sentences and individual words until it's just right.
• Taking a photograph and seeing that I captured it just as I had envisioned it.
• Editing an image to make it even more beautiful.
• Watching dogs running and playing, ears flapping, tongues hanging out as they chase after each other.
• Hiking or walking in a beautiful area in total silence, the only sound being the crunch  of my boots on the dirt and leaves. 
• Listening to classical music on the radio

These are some of the things that bring me joy. And they cannot be bought for any amount of money. They are priceless.

I hope I can become more aware of the joyful possibilities around me, in simple activities, in the beauty of nature or in the creations of humans blessed with a magnificent voice or the skills to compose music or take an awe-inspiring photograph. I can learn from the actions of my dogs, who don't carry grudges, who are always happy to see me, who jump up each morning ready to greet a new day, and who get excited at the preparations for a walk, no matter we have walked that route hundreds of times already.

Joy can be found all around us. We just need to look for it and open ourselves to its presence. My joyful place is found outside, while taking photographs, enjoying a hike or just walking on a beautiful day.

What brings you joy?

Living a Joyful Life

Layla, a 10-year-old papillon

I have three dogs, two of them small and one medium size.

These are probably the least favorite of all the dogs with which I have shared my life. They, especially the small ones, are very high-maintenance. They also bark a lot. They have a great deal of nervous energy, even at 10 years old. But they still receive the same care and treatment as all my dogs have received over the years. I spend a lot of time with them, and they eat premium dog food and receive excellent medical care.

Bailey, a 10-year-old papillon

One thing I enjoy about these (and most) dogs is their joyfulness. As soon as they hear me turn back the blankets on my bed each morning, they are up and ready for a new day. They can barely contain themselves as I switch on the light and put on my house slippers. Oh boy! Breakfast! This food is sooo good!

After their trip into the back yard to relieve themselves, they rush inside for their traditional morning 'rubbies.' Each dog vies to be the first to receive the morning body scratch. Benny, my golden retriever/corgi mix, usually is first. I scratch him all over, paying particular attention to the area at the base of his tail. Then either Bailey or Layla, my papillon sisters, arrives. Each of them receives a scratch along her back, sides and chest. Once the morning rituals are complete, they happily go back to sleep, either in my bedroom or in my office.

Benny, a 6-year-old golden retriever/corgi

Since I am retired, I spend a lot of time at home, although I make frequent trips outside to put items into the recycle bin or to just hang out in the back yard. The dogs accompany me on every trip. 

Each foray outside is met with great enthusiasm, no matter how many times I ask if they want to go outside. Each trip outside is an opportunity for a grand adventure. Benny in particular races outside. If the back door is opened, he charges into the back yard. His favorite activities are searching the lavender bushes for lizards, barking at the resident Cooper's hawk or just relaxing in the sunshine. Bailey is the explorer in the family, searching under bushes and hedges for anything she can (and shouldn't) eat. Layla is more laid back, enjoying a nap in the sun. My dogs aren't very playful, especially the females, although they do get wound up when we get ready for our morning walk. Benny will get the zoomies sometimes, usually with one of his soft toys in his mouth.

I wish we humans would learn a lesson from dogs and learn to live more joyfully. Imagine what it would be like to greet each new day with enthusiasm, to look forward to each new opportunity, to relish the food set before us, to run and play and love life. Of course, dogs aren't burdened with the travails of everyday life. They have no worries about work or money or interpersonal issues. They don't worry about the economy or the threat of war or attacks on our civilization. But we can't do much about many of life's worries, so why not be joyful?

Finding Joy

As I was running today, I stopped to catch my breath and watch a couple of dogs play in the large grassy area behind a nearby school. Their play showed total joy, unencumbered by worry about daily life or looking silly or problems at home. Dogs are like that; they live in the moment. Worry is not part of their being. They find joy in the smallest things. My dogs are as happy to see me when I've been gone 10 minutes as when I've been away for 8 hours.

All of this started me thinking about joy. What is joy, anyway? One dictionary defines joy as "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation."

For me, joy isn't found in possessions, but in experiences and feelings. I like having nice possessions, but while they may provide comfort, they don't bring me joy.

My definition of joy is:

Getting up at 5 a.m. on a cold Sunday morning, feeding the dogs, then going back to bed and being consciously aware of feeling warm under the blankets, appreciating my wonderful mattress, and knowing that I can stay in bed as long as I want to.

Putting on my robe, drinking a cup of hot tea and reading the Sunday paper, holding the world at a distance for even a short time.

My bicycle tour of southwestern Ireland nearly 6 years ago. I could stop at will and take pictures of ancient castles or sheep grazing on the greenest fields I have ever seen. Even today, looking at my pictures of clouds reflected in a window or boats atop a glassy inlet just after dawn, or streets lined with colorful buildings brings back not only memories, but joy. Eating 3 hearty meals every day and not gaining any weight was joyful. Realizing at the end of the day that I had ridden 25 or 35 or even 45 miles brought me joy. I was pushing myself physically, riding well, and felt really good about my accomplishments at the end of the day.

Taking crazy pictures with my daughter, and laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.

Listening to a favorite piece of music over and over again because hearing it once just isn't enough.

Studying a beautiful photograph and trying to learn how to improve my own photos.

Listening to Leontyne Price or Charlotte Church hit those incredibly high notes in some of their songs and being in awe at the magnificence of their voices.

Working on a piece of writing, manipulating the sentences and individual words until it's just right.

Taking a photograph and seeing that I got it just as I had envisioned it.

Watching dogs running and playing, ears flapping, tongues hanging out as they chase after each other.

These experiences can't be bought for any amount of money. They are priceless.

Each of us has a personal definition of what brings us joy. I hope I can do a better job of being aware of the joyful possibilities around me, in simple activities, in the beauty of nature or in the creations of humans blessed with a magnificent voice or the skills to compose music or take an awe-inspiring photograph. I can learn from the actions of my dogs, who don't carry grudges, who are always happy to see me, who jump up each morning ready to greet a new day, and who get excited at the preparations for a walk, no matter we have walked that route hundreds of times already.

Joy can be found all around us. We just need to look for it and open ourselves to its presence.