Now we know what joy really means

These days we are having the most poignant lesson in spirituality that we could ever hope to have. As our community landscape changes people may find themselves feeling things that are not familiar: worry, doubt, fear and even anger. Perhaps the holiday season is difficult, or people are dealing with health difficulties. Maybe you’ve suddenly turned into a crazy rebel. Or maybe you are great, but you have friends and family who are going deeper into this unfamiliar territory.

Either way, there are many choices in how we respond to the world around us and the feelings it brings. One way to respond is to let yourself open up with greater and greater awareness. Instead of trying to numb pain, or cover it up in any way, just watch and take the opportunity to learn how you really work as a human being. Learn what really makes you tick, hold firm to what you know is true and good. Speak up even if you may do or say something wrong. Trust your years of spiritual practice. Know you can move with as much truthfulness as possible in each moment.

This way of living is what my spiritual teacher always talked about. He said that if we stand true to ourselves then we grow in wisdom every day – because we learn from our own experience. If we hide and pretend that things are fine, when they aren’t, then we don’t learn. It’s called the light of awareness. It might not always feel good, but it brings tremendous benefits. It is even more powerful when done by a community.

This can be an uncomfortable way to live during trying times, but it is also the way that we become the most use to our communities and families – because every day we grow stronger, wiser and more able to guide and take action.

It also teaches us the true meaning and power of joy!

A very real problem in allowing ourselves to be real, to experience fear and uncertainty as the world seems to change around us, is that it’s tough on the body. Negativity has it’s own force and can draw us in. If we are going to be real, and stay real then we need to take care of ourselves – and that requires our skill at joy!

Think about it this way. Many of us have spent a lifetime cultivating beauty and joy. We are really good at it. If we were never interrupted in that by outside forces we would be quite happy to live in that niceness forever. But when things come along that are difficult we don’t need to dig a hole and hide. Instead we can celebrate and honor our enhanced skills of love and joy. We can face difficulties with necessary responses: protest, discuss, write, share scary Facebook posts… and then take a break! Pick up a guitar and dance and sing! Have a dance camp. Get together with friends and laugh. Know that you have tremendous joy skills and share them as refreshing breaks that heal and replenish!

We know what we are best at – Joy! We can use this to create a good world as we move through times that are difficult. We are the joy warriors.