For the Joy of It

For the Joy of It

That’s how I am living my life these days – for the joy of it. It’s the lens I have committed to view life through. In each moment, for each choice, for every ounce of energy that moves through me, I claim for myself that I am doing it all for the joy if it.

Why?

Because for me there is nothing else. I have come to believe that JOY is the one great work we are all here to accomplish. Living a life of joy is the balm for all that ails us. And the amazing thing is that it can start now, this instant, for anyone.

Joy, as opposed to happiness, is not based on external circumstances. Rather it is an internal decision we make to simply be joyful. Joy is not about getting what you “want” it’s about appreciating what you have. It’s not about others meeting your needs, it’s about staying in the present and seeing how remarkably needless you become. It’s not about avoiding pain, but about embracing the gifts from all experiences. It’s not about pleasing some external authority, but about developing a deep relationship to the Divine within and living from that Source of the Infinite.

What’s the payoff for being joyful?

As an individual, the change in my quality of life can hardly be conveyed in words. There is a lightness to life, an ease, a grace, which is available to me every moment. The struggle has ceased. The suffering is ending. I am really living!

Collectively the impact of living for the joy of it may seem obvious. Joyful people don’t hurt one another; they don’t ravage the planet looking for more and more to fill some unfillable need; and they don’t make demands that the Universe unfold as they will for it to and sulk or rage when it doesn’t.

In short, joyful people are stable, loving, connected, and whole. They meet others with kindness and compassion. They lead fulfilling lives complete with meaningful experiences of authentic self expression.

Much has been said about the importance of IQ, and recently we are learning about the importance of EQ (or Emotional Intelligence). Check out the ground-breaking work of Cindy Wigglesworth in the budding field of Spiritual Intelligence in the workplace.

This blog is dedicated to exploring ways of increasing our JQ or Joy Intelligence Quotient and pioneering the field of Joy Intelligence. Joy Intelligence is simply increasing our tolerance for joy in our lives by mastering the skill of looking for it, finding it, and living it.

I hope you will join me in committing to allowing more joy in your life.