In 10 Ways to Joy, #1 says “Joy comes from the spirit inside me, not external sources. It’s very tempting to think “I’m not happy because…it’s cold outside again.” Or, I’m not happy because I’m isolated away from my friends.” Or I’m fearful because I see my income drying up soon.”
If joy does come from the inside, the external circumstances shouldn’t matter. Easier said than done, for sure. Things sure do get difficult sometimes. Where can I go for that internal wellspring of joy?
I think the words that Eckhart Tolle says are helpful: How are you right now? And to that I would say, “I am fine.” Right now, I do have enough money to stay afloat, I do see the sunshine, and I do have friends who care. Tolle reminds me to say in the present. Fears about the future are “in my mind.” They are not the present, and as such, they do not exist. Stay here, stay in the now. How are you, right now?
The next step might be gratitude. I am thankful that right now, I am OK. I am thankful for what is right now, in the present. And from gratitude comes joy.
One more thought comes to mind… Byron Katie. If you haven’t ready Byron Katie, do it. If you have, read more. Her works are so helpful when things don’t seem to be going right. In one of her books, she talks about not being dependent on external circumstances for joy. (Paraphrasing now) “I am loved. Good. I am not loved. Good. I am healthy. Good. I am ill. Good.”
Her point? Acceptance of what is. That truly brings an internal calmness and peace. And that lets the joy come in.