What is Joy?
The experience of being meaningful. The feeling of being valued. Mattering
Joy refers to the experience of value. When we are reminded of our value. When we feel valuable, there is a physical reaction. An energy. We become alight with the feeling of being alive. We are fundamentally in touch with our self worth, and that changes us.
Isn't Joy the same as happiness?
No.
While happiness often aligns with this understanding of joy. Often the feeling of our own self worth is tied to positive emotions. To smiles and laughter. But it doesn’t have to be.
The burden of happiness is that it is chained to positivity. It describes the temporary emotion of positive experience. Happiness is a great part of life. It is something that should be honoured and cherished. However, as many of you know it is not always with us.
There are times in our lives where other emotional experiences come to nest. Anger, sadness, jealousy, boredom, stress, loneliness. If our focus in centred on happiness, these moments can be destructive and despairing. In these moments, we need something deeper to hold on to.
Joy digs deeper. It describes the experience of fundamental value. The energy that comes from knowing that we matter. And that doesn’t change with the rest of our emotional experiences. We can be angry and joyful. Joyously alone. Cry tears of joy. In many ways these emotions can only exist because of joy. Because we are valuable, when circumstances impair our experience of joy, our body calls for action.
Joy = Feeling of Value
Happiness = Positive Feeling
While happiness often aligns with this understanding of joy. Often the feeling of our own self worth is tied to positive emotions. To smiles and laughter. But it doesn’t have to be.
The burden of happiness is that it is chained to positivity. It describes the temporary emotion of positive experience. Happiness is a great part of life. It is something that should be honoured and cherished. However, as many of you know it is not always with us.
There are times in our lives where other emotional experiences come to nest. Anger, sadness, jealousy, boredom, stress, loneliness. If our focus in centred on happiness, these moments can be destructive and despairing. In these moments, we need something deeper to hold on to.
Joy digs deeper. It describes the experience of fundamental value. The energy that comes from knowing that we matter. And that doesn’t change with the rest of our emotional experiences. We can be angry and joyful. Joyously alone. Cry tears of joy. In many ways these emotions can only exist because of joy. Because we are valuable, when circumstances impair our experience of joy, our body calls for action.
Joy = Feeling of Value
Happiness = Positive Feeling
Why the Joy Movement?
Do you feel purposeless, anxious, depressed, lonely, oppressed or hurt? Many of us today grapple with many of these challenges.
While people may be able to find value from their religious beliefs, from their careers or families,; There are many who have been hurt or let down by these institutions
In the face of rising trends of deteriorating mental health, movements of hate and increasing income inequality people need new pathways to find value. .We need a set of tools to deal with the failures of religion and secular society,
While people may be able to find value from their religious beliefs, from their careers or families,; There are many who have been hurt or let down by these institutions
In the face of rising trends of deteriorating mental health, movements of hate and increasing income inequality people need new pathways to find value. .We need a set of tools to deal with the failures of religion and secular society,