Reflect

The writer Ari Honarvar recalls this vivid, moving story from her childhood: Gathered defiantly on a rooftop during a night of bombing amidst the 8-year Iran-Iraq War, someone began shouting lines of Rumi’s poetry from a neighboring rooftop. Soon, this joyful exclamation was answered by yet another neighbor reciting the ancient Persian poet’s words into the night air. Honarvar writes, “Even as a young child, I could feel the ecstasy of these verses in my heart, radiating to every cell of my being. In an instant, my world not only became sane, but infinite and glorious.” Having committed her adult life to peace building, Honarvar reflects, “One thing I’ve learned from spending much of my own childhood in times of war and political upheaval is the importance of cultivating joy during crises.”

Joy, it turns out, is more than a temporary sense of happiness. Rather, it’s a deep well of feeling that surpasses language. It contains part happiness, part contentment, part elation, with dashes of play, surprise, and even transcendence in the mix — that ecstasy Honarvar remembers feeling as a child. When experienced in communion with others, joy unites us around what we value and increases our sense of connection and belonging. Joy also holds numerous other superpowers: reduced stress and anxiety, increased resilience and motivation, and an uptick in our bodies of dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin. Joy, in other words, makes us feel better. And as in Ari Honarvar’s memory, it’s a way of boldly saying no to the forces of destruction and violence.

There’s an important, causal relationship between gratitude and joy. Br. David Steindl-Rast writes, “The root of joy is gratefulness…It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” And we can find our way to it through practice. Circling back 800-plus years to the beloved poet Rumi, he too offered a clear path to joy. “Submit to a daily practice,” he advised. “Your loyalty to that is a ring at the door. Keep knocking, and the joy inside will eventually open a window and look out to see who’s there.”

This week’s practices invite you to notice, remember, appreciate, create, and tap the power of joy.