Say Yes to Joy

What if in the midst of daily life and all its demands, you could nurture an abiding joy at the center of your being? What if even on your hardest days, weighted by your own or the world’s sorrows, you could set a place for joy at your table? And when you’re blessed with a stretch of ease in your life, how can you be sure not to miss the joy that’s offering itself to you — beckoning you to play, to sing, to exclaim such living? 

Br. David Steindl-Rast writes, “Joy is the happiness for which the human heart longs, a lasting happiness, a happiness that does not depend on what happens.” A happiness that does not depend on what happens. How do we possibly cultivate that? Gratefulness, it turns out, is the key. “The root of joy,” Br. David continues, “is gratefulness.” When we develop a gratefulness practice, we expand our capacity to delight in life’s gifts both large and small — sun on skin, laughter with a friend, the mischief of play, bodies swaying in time to music. We learn to appreciate and savor the richness of what is available to us — the very things, in fact, that forge our sense of belonging, support us in difficult times, and embolden us to act on behalf of one another and the world. 

Daily, we have a choice. We can allow our habits, worries, and fears — real and heavy as they are — to mark the perimeter of our path through life. It’s understandable how this can happen, and it’s important to acknowledge it with compassion. Saying yes to joy, however, offers an alternative — a path by which we learn to carry our hardships while cultivating joy as our lamplight, joy as the guideposts at the perimeter. We do this through practice and always imperfectly, but the reward is a more fulfilling and flourishing life, one with the door open wide to the possibility of unconditional joy.

During this 5-day journey you will discover:

• How gratefulness holds the key to experiencing more joy
• Practices that will help you cultivate more joy in your life – even alongside hardship and sorrow
• The ways in which shared  joy deepens connection and belonging
• Strategies to address the barriers that hold you back from experiencing joy
• How joy can be fuel for taking action in the world on behalf of what you value

Key Details

• Series of five daily emails to guide your individual journey
• Reflection questions, poetry, videos, short essays, and research highlights
• A guided practice that builds on the day’s focus and resources
• An invitation to share your reflections
• Continued access to the resources beyond the week

What are all the ways your life could be enriched by more joy? Please join us for the exploration.

Feature image by Habib Dadkhah