Reflect

What if you opened up your calendar today and discovered that in addition to your standard commitments, you also had 3 appointments with joy? What if all of us thought about joy as something we could intentionally seek out and schedule? Br. David Steindl-Rast writes that “the root of joy is gratefulness,” reminding us that joy is a consequence of gratefulness. As we practice living gratefully, we expand our ability to notice, receive, savor, and create joy. When we attune to life’s gifts and pause to appreciate them, we minimize the risk of missing out on the joy that is available to us. And when we intentionally share our delight, we createjoy that ripples out to our friends, family, and the world. Is joy always accessible? Not always easily. But we do have the choice to seek it out and claim it.