You Gotta Find Joy!
by Alicia K. Hanlen
Practitioner Emeritus
Taos Center for Spiritual Living
“When I say this life is joy, I’m saying the basic essence of life is the spirit, and the spirit is joy. It’s celebrating itself as everything that we are, as everything around us.” — Dr. Roger Teel
I recognize that within me is a space, where everything and nothing exist. I choose to call this space Source; one can easily call it by many other names — God, Infinite Life, Allah. Regardless of its name, in this moment I gravitate and ground my individualized self, to that larger Self as my Source. I see, feel, and know that this Source contains within its very essence all that is whole and life-propelling, including, but certainly not limited to, beauty, health, peace, and joy.
Today I choose to focus on joy, for who amongst us cannot use more of that in our lives? We live in challenging times, perhaps individually, but certainly collectively. All around us we see signs of divisiveness when what we crave is unity. Perhaps we witness anger when what would soothe our souls is peace. So what I know and declare to be true this day is that in the midst of the chaos, there is resolve; in the midst of sadness, we see hope; and, right in the middle of our daily tribulations, we can discover joy.
Look around you and see it in the yellow bird pecking seeds from the sunflowers, in the scent of sweet and dark chocolate, in the glowing, rich skin tones of a sweet child’s face. Take a moment and discover your own sources of joy, be they simple or profound. Allow yourself to expand your awareness to see beneath the perfect, to our glorious expressions of joy. They truly are everywhere. My heart is filled to the brim and overflowing with gratitude for this day, as I welcome all experiences into my life. Today I see and experience the joy, as I release this word, knowing it is already done. And so it is.