She will rise. With a spine of steel and a roar like thunder, she will rise.”
Joy is defined in the dictionary as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. But how is measured? How is any feeling measured? It cannot be contained in a gallon or quart, or miles or pounds or hours, days. We have all of this technology and science, and yet no way to quantify joy, or happiness, or love. In all of our ways of measurements, in all of the countries of the world, and yet these are still immeasurable. It is a mystery.
And yet, we all want a piece of this illusive Immeasurable. I think there are things on this earth that are supposed to remain a mystery. as humans there are things that are beyond our comprehension, though it is human nature to wonder and be curious. IT is out nature to question.
So how do you measure Joy? How do you measure the human heart and how much joy it can hold? I don’t really know, except that maybe that is not something we are supposed to be able to quantify. Maybe it is something that is individual to each person. Imagine if we could quantify it, break it down into a formula. As convenient as it sounds, that would ruin it all together, because somehow we would find a way to put it in a jar and sell it, gluten free, fat free, no preservative, so use it fast, not available in stores and order now to get a set of free steak knives.
Maybe there is no way to measure it because it takes work, because it takes time, because there is no app for that. Or formula, or recipe…maybe some of the best things in life are not only free, but a beautiful wonderful immeasurable mystery.
So then, if you want it, how do you get it? And once you get it, how do you acquire more of it? Ay, there’s the rub!
I don’t quite know the answer to that either, except what I am doing in my own life. I think part of it is a decision that you make – you decide to be happy, to feel joy, and then you decide that every morning when you wake up. Many think that you just snap your fingers and BAM! There it is, happiness and joy. Nope. But we can get into a habit. The habit of Joy in every day life because we can train ourselves to get into the habit of looking for joy. And I have a theory that you find whatever it is that you look for. There is even a saying “what you are seeking is also seeking you.”
To bring more joy into my life, I have a Joy Jar. Every time something wonderful, happy, or good happens, I write is down on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. The idea is to do this all year and at the end of the year, read all of the wonderful things that happened over the year. Not too mention if you are down at some point during the year you can always take a peak in the jar and remind yourself of all the good things that have happened. All the memories and wonderful moments. This also reminds me to be present in the moment, so that I remember to write it down and the details. There are already 3 slips of paper in the jar and it is only 9th days of the year. Not bad.
So forget the cups running over, may all of our jars runneth over, and over and over. May we all decide on happiness and may we all have so many moments that we cannot keep up.
AdaLamar's Blog 