“We must risk Delight. We must have the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world.” -Jack Gilbert
“Yeah,” she said, skip skip skipping along. “I’m a fool for joy.” – Your Inner Child
Imagine, being giddy with Joy. Inside (and maybe outside) you skip and dance. It’s a constant frolic, in fields of flowers. (Or whatever Fields of Fullness appeal to you).
You’re literally bursting with it. It comes out in smiles and twinkles of the eye. In a little hop as you walk. You want to shout out “Yee-Haw! Yippee Ki-Yay! Woo Hoo! Fuck yes!!! Cock-a-doodle-dooooooo!” And maybe you actually do.
Don’tcha just love feeling that way? It’s like being in love. It IS being in love – with life.
Yeah, it doesn’t happen for me all the time either. And, when it does… When I feel all alive and mouthwatered and ecstatic… so, so amazing.
What if this month, you let yourself be a Fool for Joy? And what if you let everyone else see it too?
Here’s a secret. Joy is one of the most vulnerable things we experience and possibly one of the hardest things we share in the world.
Why is that? My theory – Joy, Bliss, and Love are our most prized moments, our deepest treasures. Ever tell someone about something amazing and they just don’t get it? The blank stare, the glossing over. Ouch. Makes you question – was it really as good as I thought? So, to cover up, you discuss how the world is ending and how bad traffic was today. Which gets a much better response.
No wonder we talk Drama more than Joy.
Joy can get dinged up and muted when we talk about it. People get uncomfortable – like watching someone making out on the escalator or something.
We do the same thing to ourselves, in both internal and external conversations. “Oh my goodness, I had the best day. I enjoyed work, I started my book, I just feel really good right now. But, I have so much to do still. I probably should have eaten better, too, since I had that donut. Two donuts. Okay, three. So yummy, but I shouldn’t have. I probably could have actually gotten more work done if I wouldn’t have talked so long to my friend. And shit, I was supposed to call my mom! Geez, I can’t get anything right. I bet tomorrow will suck.”
Recognize that?
Let’s turn it around! Let’s celebrate our victories, however large or small (both can be hard to celebrate). Let’s let that Inner Fool run wild. (It’s fun to say “let’s let”. Try it.) Be giddy in love with life, with your victories, with appreciation for the simple pleasures. Skip a little. Show your happiness.
Of course, if you’re the person making out (remember the escalator?), and you’re really in it, you don’t care who’s looking. You just love the moment. Maybe, being a Fool for Joy is just an unabashed Public Display of Affection for life.
I get it. I can be pretty shy, too. You don’t have to join a flash mob or kiss in public. Start with little things. The key is to stop muting your soul. Turn off your invisibility cloak. Walk tall! Shine! Fly! We don’t need a speech or any heroics – yet – (Joy Heroics. I like that) – unless you want to. Just step in and embrace your joy, your pleasure, your glorious life and watch how others follow your lead.
Emotions are infectious. We need more Fools to remind us to laugh and spread good cheer. Why not let that be you?
You have permission to be joyful. Go out and radiate, sweet fool.
(Extra Credit: Did you notice how many words for joy there are in this post? Isn’t that amazing? Which one did you like the best? Feel free to add more.)
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