Thoughts on Joy
It has been quite a year, 2018, for me, my family, and my team. Personally, it has been an outstanding year with the marriage of my younger daughter, a move to a fantastic real estate company, and the birth of a second grandson. We have been so very fortunate and I count my blessings every day. In the world, there has been a push of economic recovery but a disheartening deluge of events and news that has shaken all of us to our toes. From hurricanes to fires, to senseless killings and hateful rhetoric, it has been tough to turn on the news.
However, in between the highs and lows which we all experience are those moments that ground us and make us smile. Moments of joy that are found in the smallest of things.
Joy can be found in sounds–the birds chirping in the morning, raindrops, the crunch of snow, the fight song of your favorite team. It can be found in the smell of your morning coffee, in the ray of sunshine that falls through the window, and in the laughter of a child.
The moments of joy are all around us but sometimes we just don’t take the time to savor them and appreciate how they can improve our day. Often we focus on sharing with family and co-workers all that went wrong in our world instead of taking a moment to list the joyful moments of the day.
A Ted Talk by Ingrid Fetell Lee discusses how joy begins with the senses. It is what we see hear, touch, and smell that gives us the sensations of joy we experience. Joy is different than happiness. Happiness is something that occurs over time. Joy is in the moment and is an intensely positive emotion.
Universally, joy is found in things like sunsets, sunrises, fireworks, dancing, laughing, singing, bubbles, rainbows, bright colors, confetti, and ice cream cones with sprinkles. We all find joy in the same small things. It gives us a shared experience.
In this holiday season, we need to find that which makes us joyful and look to find what makes others joyful. Finding joy around us throughout our day can lift our spirits and those of everyone around us. We at the Goodhart Group wish you joy in every part of your day this holiday season and in the new year. If you need a lift, come by and see us and we will treat you to an ice cream. We hope to bring joy to you in any way we can!
