What is Inner Joy, anyway?
We often think joy is “when I get that promotion” or “when I finally graduate” or “when I find the partner of my dreams”, etc. The problem with this idea of joy is that moment you are waiting for may never happen. And if that moment does happen, that which has a beginning, also has an ending. And will you still be happy and joyful?
This doesn’t mean it is silly to hope for Joy. What’s silly is how we believe that these things that are outside of us, and these things that are outside of our control, will somehow make us truly happy and joyful. They won’t. Such joy is only momentary.
Yes, we may feel some happiness and joy for the moment when good things happen, but then something happens to make you worried or angry or depressed, etc. At this point we often think, “So what’s the point of trying to be happy?”
The point is we’re looking for joy in all the wrong places. Our joy is not outside of us. It is part of who we are. It is our birthright to be joyful! When we cultivate our inner joy, that joy is always with us. How can that be? When your happiness and joy is driven by things outside of you, then it will always be fleeting. However when you carry your joy inside of you - in your heart - it is always with you, like a good friend, through the good times and the bad.
An analogy that helped me understand this concept is thinking of a stream. A stream is healthy when the water can flow freely. It can get around the rocks and accumulated mud and gunk, as long as there is enough water in the stream. If there is not enough water in the stream, then the water can’t get around that rock, or it gets stuck in the mud and gunk. Then it gets stagnant and smelly. It then takes a lot of water to wash out all of the gunk and get the stream flowing again.
The stream is your inner joy. The rocks, gullies, and accumulated mud and gunk are the items that make us sad or angry. When you cultivate your inner joy you are adding water to your stream of life. You will still encounter good times and bad times, but you won’t get stuck in the muck. You can continue to “go with the flow” of life. We don’t have to like what happens, but once it happens, we can’t change it. What we can change is how we move forward. We can weather the storm with a healthy dose of Inner Joy!
And how do we cultivate our inner joy? With techniques that have been proven since ancient times and now by science to really work: Meditation, Mindfulness, proper breathing to elicit the rest and restore response. Let me guide you.