“Joy is not in things; it is in us.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is joy? I believe it is linked to gratitude and is not the opposite of sorrow. For me, joy is knowing that no matter what, I have lived as best I can. Sometimes I sit and reflect on my life over the years and feel the greatest joy simply in being grateful for being alive—for all of my experiences. I would not change a single one of them.

Some people ask, “How can I be joyful when there is so much pain in the world?” That question doesn’t make sense to me, because I know we are all connected and feel one another within the one quantum field. We are entangled. When one of us feels something, we all feel it. I don’t believe that having joy means eliminating sorrow. Sorrow is deep, and within it is joy—the joy of being able to feel, to express, and to give and receive.

Yes, there is a great deal of pain in our world. This is so because we often spend much of our lives clinging to it—expecting it and reliving it. But what if we knew that every time we felt the joy of a sunset, the joy of a hug, or the joy of following our bliss, it was felt everywhere? What if our joy were a kind of magic for the rest of the world?

We have just experienced an atrocious event—the murder of one of our fellow human beings, Renee Good. Everything I have read about her tells me she was a wonderful and kind person, deeply involved in helping the world. Feeling sorrow for her loss is natural. Feeling anger about what happened is natural. However, the best way to honor her legacy is to find ways to give the joy that she gave to the world.

Joy is not about being happy all the time. It is deeper than that. Joy is the expression that comes forth when we are living in the essence of our true selves—not hiding but giving and being who we came here to be.

Joseph Campbell’s famous words sum it up beautifully: “Follow your bliss, and the Universe will open doors where there were only windows.”

Affirm: Today, I live joy as my inner compass.

In Joy,

Rev. Dr. Rita Andriello-Feren
Co-Founding Spiritual Director, CSL Kaua‘i
Author • Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator • Consciousness Coach

Rita Andriello-Feren — Transformational storytelling that blends mysticism, New Thought, and emotional authenticity.