How to find joy.

Kiri busking in Banff during the summer of 2016.
Young people are rarely aware of the treasures and burdens that await them in life.  The nature of that journey will likely be determined by the choices they make.  There is a constant battle between immediate desires and striving to achieve long term goals.   Do they embrace the moment or sacrifice it for other gains?  Some may see this as a derisive slant towards those seeking pleasure over prosperity.  I am not speaking about acquiring material things, because in them there is rarely peace and happiness.  I am talking about joy.

The pursuit of joy is often an elusive endeavor.  Instead of viewing it as an ethereal commodity like the water level in a cup, it needs to be viewed over a person's lifetime, more akin to the water in a lake.  Shallow lakes called playas are at risk of drying up.  They ebb and flow depending on the conditions around them.  Deep lakes fed by nourishing streams can survive moments of drought; although the shorelines may shrink they will never disappear.  That same analogy relates to joy; a shallow person attempting to extract happiness from every moment will rarely experience it while someone with depth will always embrace it.

The difference between the two, of course, relates to depth.  Instead of water flow and capacity, the human condition equates depth with relationships and what you have to offer others.  Our ability to foster hope and joy in others allows them to foster hope and joy in us.  The answer is not in education, money, property, or heredity; it lies in love for yourself and your fellow man.  Selfish ambition rarely paves the way to happiness.  When the joy of life is shared with others, it often is returned with dividends.

This is the part that many young people cannot see.  To live or sacrifice?  Embrace the moment and squander the future, or squander the moment in the hope to embrace the future?  The truth lies between these extremes.  Develop long terms goals and strive to meet them, but embrace the people around you and live responsibly.  Whatever your situation, love others.  You will in turn be loved, and that is where you will find joy.

So what does my picture have to do with anything I have said?  I met this young lady, Kiri, some years ago as she was busking in Banff.  I do not know what has become of her, but I can tell you that she extruded happiness.  It was infectious.  She had a goal (travel), she had a love (music), and she had a passion for meeting others.  She was not wealthy as far as I could tell.  I cannot speak of her education or history, but I can tell that she was embracing life.  She loved life, loved others, and loved herself.  In my mind, she embodied joy.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen


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