What is joy? Why did I choose to write about it? How could we choose joy?
Well, let me start this post with a small story.
A few years back, I decided to apply for the first time to a creative writing workshop. What I would say to anyone who asked me about it, was that I wanted to apply mostly out of curiosity to find out what this thing was all about.
The real question is, what was I actually seeking to find there?
Apart from meeting in person with somebody that I admire and learning from him whatever creative writing was, I was actually looking for some moments of joy.
These moments of joy would be just for two hours every Friday afternoon, but all I wanted was to let myself be surrounded by people who shared the same passion for reading and writing. To allow my mind to be creative and produce something meaningful to me.
See, although I have been writing all my life, ever since I started preparing for university and when I became an adult, I always had more important things to do. Writing, along with other things that offered me joy became of lower priority.
It always felt rewarding, as an act of love and dedication to myself and what I am, but I would forget how important it is for me when other things had to be done.
Forcing myself to register in a workshop would turn writing into one of those things that I had to do. It is crazy if you think about it. It is something that is always there and offers me joy but I had to register and commit myself to a workshop to actually do it.
What are the Main Reasons that Make us Forget About Joy?
I used writing as an example but that stands for everything that brings joy in our lives. While growing older we get more serious about everything, we take ourselves too seriously and forget to laugh at the silly things we do. We forget how to have fun and enjoy the small things we have in our life.
We usually struggle to have everything ready on time, to be on time with deadlines, appointments, obligations.
When people ask us how we are, we usually say we are fine. But are we really?
When we try to steal moments of our time during the day to feel the joy I think that the answer is obvious. Why should we try to find time to experience joy? Shouldn’t it be something that we can feel any time we want to?
When we were kids, joy was a part of who we were. As children, we would laugh more, loudly and with all our hearts. We would not seek moments of joy simply because joy lives within us all.
This is something we knew back then but we forget it while growing older.
“A flower blossoms for its own joy.”
Oscar Wilde
Make a Life Changing Decision and Decide to Choose Joy
The decision to experience joy, any time you want to, is as simple as lifting your eyes over your laptop’s screen and smiling for 2 seconds. Sounds silly I know, but it works.
Realization of something as simple as that can set us free. It can set us free of the feeling that everything important should be firstly completed until we experience some joy.
Allowing ourselves to feel joy does not mean that we don’t have ambitions or that we do not see serious things that need our attention. It doesn’t mean that we lose our credibility or importance.
Allowing ourselves to feel joy in life means that we enjoy ourselves along the way.
It means we make a choice to have a better life. It means that we choose joy.
Better Realize That The Most Beautiful Things in Life are not Things
We all went through two really hard years. Our busy lives suddenly and brutally were stopped. Everything we knew changed. Suddenly we were forced to spend time indoors with ourselves.
It was during that time that most of us reevaluated our priorities in life. We understood that the most beautiful things in life are not things. That it is the little things that can bring us joy and make us feel happy.
It could be just a walk in the sunlight, a call from a friend, the first hug to a loved one after a long time, even the laugh on a kid’s face. These are all small sips of pure joy we all had for granted.
Joy is a part of us and can be experienced with everything and everyone around us. The power of choosing to experience joy is huge and can help us in so many ways.
“Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.”
Emily Dickinson
5 Reasons Why it is Important to Choose Joy
1. Choose Joy for Your Health
Research has shown that the feeling of joy helps your heart condition, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. It is also responsible for lower stress levels, tolerance in pain, and improvement of the immune system. The feeling of joy could finally help you live a longer life.
2. Choose Joy to Attract Success
People who live their lives in joy tend to become more successful. Seems that joy as a positive emotion helps people be more optimistic and follow their dreams. Their brain when living in a state of joy works much better than those experiencing negative emotions or high levels of stress.
3. Choose Joy and Enjoy the Moment
If you think about it, all we have in life are those little precious moments that we usually forget their importance. We seem to long for the afternoon when we finish our work, for the weekend to have some fun, for the summer to take some vacation. Or on the other hand, we recall happy or sad memories of the past and forget that our lives are right here and right now.
There are and will always be things that are out of our control and there is nothing we can do about them. Choosing joy means we focus on the present moment and enjoy it while we still can.
4. Motivation
The feeling of joy usually comes along with high energy levels and excitement. It makes you feel more confident about yourself and certain about your choices. Joy provides a sense of safety and comfort that can inspire you and motivate you to make everything possible.
5. Freedom
Making the choice to live in joy means that you allow yourself to be free. Free to dream the impossible, free to let go of each kind of control, free to prioritize joy.
So, why wouldn’t you choose joy?
“Joy must be one of the pivots of our life. It is the token of a generous personality. Sometimes it is also a mantle that clothes a life of sacrifice and self-giving. A person who has this gift often reaches high summits. He or she is like sun in a community.”
Mother Teresa
If you liked this you might also like “Why Commitment Sets You Free” or “What is Happiness and Will I Ever Reach it?“
A very positive and inspiring article.
Thank you Jamie!
such an uplifting post!
Thank you!
Love it when you wrote “Allowing ourselves to feel joy in life means that we enjoy ourselves along the way.”… I agree with that. Sometimes it is us that hinders our own happiness when there are truly a lot of reasons to feel joy.
I will argue that usually it is us who we do not prioritize our joy and happiness…I am glad you liked it Kent! Thank you for commenting ❤️
You’re right, we do often forget about feeling joy, because everything else comes first ‘the important stuff’ but joy and rest is the important stuff too! Just like the little moments being as important as the big moments x
Exactly Kayleigh! Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂
Thank you Jodie! I am so glad you liked it!
I agree, it’s was part of us but we still need to have it when we grow up because it makes us enjoy the moment.
Exactly 😊
Thank you Fransic for commenting!
Although we can’t control everything in our life, we can choose where we focus our attention. Focusing on things that bring us joy is a great place to start! Thank you for this important reminder!!
Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂
Wonderful post, we all need a little more joy in our lives, thank you 🙂
What a lovely post! Joy is such a great thing to experience as it makes us happy, and like you said makes you excited and gives you energy. While in lockdown I’ve been trying so hard to find joy in things life, being amongst nature, going for walks, etc. does bring me joy. Lockdown lifts tomorrow, so I think I really need to carry this on. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I am glad you liked it. Yes, definitely lockdown and covid worked as great reminder of what is important in our lives and how much joy little things can bring. Thank you for commenting!
Thank you Lou! I am glad you find it uplifting 🙂
I absolutely love this. Being intentional about choosing joy and allowing ourselves to feel and find joy in the simple things in our lives completely changes your outlook.
I am glad you liked it. Thank you for commenting 🙂
I love how positive this is! I think covid definitely made me more grateful for the little things and how much joy they can bring – calls from a friend can make such a world of difference! It’s definitely made me better at living in the moment too, I used to be a massive worrier but I have got a bit better recently. Thanks for sharing!
We all worry and it is normal. The pitty is when all we do is worrying and not being able to enjoy anything. Thank you so much for your beautiful comment!
This is such a great post & you made a lot of good points! I agree it is so important to choose joy as it impacts many areas of our life.
Thank you for commenting! I am glad you liked it 🙂
This post is so important! Joy is the best feeling we all deserve to experience and choose – I loved reading this x
Thank you Della! I think so also ❤️
Such and encouraging post. I believe in choosing joy and it makes for a better quality of life. My daughter (who is 19) tells people, “My mom says you make your own fun, so if you’re not having a good time than that’s on you.” Thanks for sharing such positive encouragement.
What a great comment! I think your daughter has a wise mother 😉
Joy definitely makes our lives so much better. Thank you for commenting ❤️
Very inspiring and uplifting! Thanks for sharing!
This is such an inspiring post Eri! If we look at things realistically, it’s not easy to choose joy all the time but it’s very important. Life gets in the way sometimes and choosing joy can be difficult but I try to choose joy all the time and I practice gratitude more these days. The pandemic definitely taught us to appreciate the littlest things and these days, I always choose joy no matter how difficult things are. Choosing joy helps you see the good in every situation.
Of course Ruth, there are times in life that joy is not an option. But there are so many more that we seem to avoid joy instead of choosing it. These are the times I am talking about. Thank you for your thoughtful comment 🙂
Such a positive and uplifting and inspiring article to start my Monday right! Thank you for sharing it x
I sm glad you liked it Simona. Thank you for your comment!
What an uplifting post! I’ve learned how to find the joy in the smaller things in life since the pandemic.
I am glad you found it uplifting. Thank you for commenting 🙂
What an uplifting post – it’s so lovely reading about something positive and happy. I really like this – definitely going to make more of a conscious effort to chose joy now!
I am glad you liked it Lindsey. Thank you for commenting 🙂
This is such a helpful post to remember when you are having a down time or forgetting the importance of being happy and seeing joy in your life. Thank you for sharing this post.
Lauren – bournemouthgirl
I am glad you found it helpful Lauren. Thank you for commenting ❤️
A very inspiring topic “the most beautiful things in life are not things”. Thanks for the reminder 💕
You are welcome Rayo. Thank you for commenting ❤️
Great insight. Writing brings me joy as well. I do it every day. It’s my air.
Writing can be so liberating. Thank you for reading and commenting Pamela ❤️
There is such an important link between physical and mental health- to the point where joy can make you feel physically healthier (depending on any conditions you have, of course) and feeling stressed can take its toll on your physical wellbeing. Excellent points here thank you for sharing x
Exactly Eleanor. I have experienced both of the effects you mention. Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂
I love this! I fully believe that we choose how we feel. Although we can’t stop bad things from happening, we can choose to focus on what is wrong or what is right. We can choose joy! We can make the time to do the things that make us happy! Thanks for sharing such an inspiring post!
Thank you Tiffany! It is great to know you found it inspiring 🙂
This was so uplifting to read and just what I needed to hear. I’ve got into a bit of a pattern/rut and I have somewhat neglected joy in my life. As it can be found in the little things in life, I must pay more attention and be intentional about recognizing it, implementing it and celebrating it — thank you for this reminder!
When bad things keep coming we all tend to get into similar ruts. The joy is always there in every little thing but it is our eyes that usually choose not to see it. I am glad you found this post uplifting. Thank you for commenting!
I am heartened by your post! I started to feel it after reading about how yes, we say we are fine because it is an automatic response, but are we really fine?
Joy is a word that lifts me up and makes me feel happy. It is a healthy feeling, a fine form of expression, and a well-rounded balance to the upheaval that is also, ultimately, a part of our lives. I love your tips for experiencing deeply the moment and reaching more for joy and consciousness than anything else.
Thanks for sharing!
This is such a beautiful comment. I am really happy it touched you. Thank you ❤️
Thank you for sharing such an uplifting post! I have always loved the idea of taking time to stop and smell the roses. Your post reminds me of that important focus. Live in the moment and experience joy.
I am glad it worked as a great reminder for you! Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂
We should choose joy because I don’t like stress and sadness to be my only options. Fantastic post! Perfect timing for my day today… Thanks for sharing!
https://www.lifebeginsattwenty.com/
Joy is always there Monique. It seems that many times unconsciously we choose stress and sadness instead. I am glad you liked it! Thank you 💓
What a great inspiring post! As a natural pessimist, choosing joy isn’t always the first thing I do but I do find that making note of all the small positives in my day helps lift my mood. While joy and positivity are wonderful and important I also think there needs to be a nice, real balance too as everything it’s always great and those feelings need to be acknowledged too.
Totally agree with you Lauren. I don’t mean there are no moments of pain, greef and sadness. Everything is part of lives. But most people seem to focus most on the negativity, stress and problems than being able to enjoy even simple happy moments of their lives. Thank you for this thoughtful comment 💕
Yup, all these little things are small moments of joy and happiness which we some times choose not to see due to other “important” things.
Thank you for commenting!
I am glad you liked. Thank you for commenting Mel ☺️
What a great post and reminder to make time for joy in our lives! I can definitely relate to the idea of writing being something that makes you happy but having to force yourself to do it – that’s all too true for myself as well! Well stated!!
I am glad you found it a great reminder and you can relate yourself to it. Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂
I really appreciate this post regarding joy. Taking moments of gratitude every day teaches you to appreciate what you have and not take anything for granted. I have learned true sustaining joy comes from a personal relationship with Jesus. This joy brings a strength that cannot be explained in everyday moments. Thank you for sharing this post.
Pastor Natalie 😊
Letstakeamoment.com
Thank you Natalie for sharing your perspective about joy. Really appreciate it ❤️
This is such a positive and uplifting post. Joy is definitely something that boosts you up and gives you a strength. Thanks for sharing this post!
I am glad you liked it. Thank you for commenting!
This is something that has been on my mind so much lately. Trying to recognize and be aware of what brings me joy. Thank you for sharing such a great post.
Thank you for commenting Sarah!
Such a beautiful post! Well written, I definitely agree with all the points you made. 🙂
xo Olivia | http://www.oliviaandbeauty.com
I am glad you liked it Olivia. Thank you for commenting 🙂
Choosing joy is so important. I believe that we choice to have joy in our lives. Its good to dwell on positive moments life and remember what it means to have joy in our lives.
Positive moments are a great reminder of joy. Thank you for commenting ❤️
This was such a great read and couldn’t agree more! We tend to forget what brings us joy while growing up and just replace it with work and commitments, without pausing to see the joys and small things around us! Such a great reminder x