Love for my friends and loved ones. I once heard a pastor say that the best way to find joy was in the pursuit of either beauty or justice. Joy is a state of mind and a choice. We're here, and we're so lucky to be here.On days when the gratefulness doesn't come as easily, I try to project cheerfulness onto others around me, be it a random compliment to a stranger or lending a listening ear to someone else. What brings me joy is opening my eyes. Allow these declarations to help you overcome overeating in your life. If you are seeking these things in food, you will never find ultimate satisfaction or calm. Find your peace in Christ, not in food. Instead of turning to food for comfort, God wants us to cast our anxieties on Him and allow Him to carry our burdens for us. It’s important to make declarations reminding yourself of your release from these two emotions that work to keep you down. Joy is a thing best savoured in moments, sporadic, fleeting, whimsical, so to end up a mouthful of endorphins, swallowed whole filling your belly with light and radiating a soft sparkle in your eyes.And so, in my very belated experience of joy that finally came after my only child was born, I realized that you must always remain vulnerable to fate and open to possible loss in order to become, also, open to joy.Reading the files feels somewhat meditative to me.The autonomic nervous system helps the body regulate the shift in blood pressure when we stand up.When you’re having thoughts, food, thoughts about making changes to that plan and when you actually do make a change.These things are available to most people.And the pain of the darkness becomes just a tiny bit more bearable because no matter how much I wallow in it (write poetry about it, swim in it, make a lifestyle out of it), it’ll die too.It makes me appreciate this moment more, because it is fleeting and it won’t come back. It is a struggle to get there but it offers a type of serenity that we might not experience otherwise. It tapped humanities essential need to coalesce around a common thread, shedding our insatiable addiction to tribalism, if even for a moment. From that came rock and roll, the broadest of all genres in modern music. Jazz, blues, country music and the like once swirled together in a genre-less environment of metaphysical catharsis. As you well know, most of what might be considered "happy" or "upbeat" music in the pop format is built on a foundation of hardship and introspection. Often writing articles that criticize political figures and inaccurate records of history. It aimed at rewriting history as the history of the Filipino people. This book will free us from colonialism and favoritism by tackling our past with freedom of questioning and rediscovering. Use the 3Ps to Conquer Food Cravings With practical tools, Scripture, and encouragement, you’ll learn how to invite God into your journey toward lasting peace with food, body, and spirit. Find freedom from food struggles—one step at a time. Together, we are committed to walking alongside you as you pursue better health, freedom with food, and a stronger relationship with God. ✅ Grow closer to God and experience more peace and joy Instead of relying on willpower, rigid rules, or quick fixes, we focus on building healthy habits, renewing the mind, and creating lasting change that supports both your physical and spiritual health. Its newly formed schools of art, its extending galleries, and well-ordered museums will assuredly bear some fruit in time, and give once more to the popular mind the power to discern what is great, and the disposition to protect what is precious. I have given many years, in many cities, to the study of Gothic architecture; and of all that I know, or knew, the entrance to the north transept of Rouen Cathedral was, on the whole, the most beautiful—beautiful, not only as an elaborate and faultless work of the finest time of Gothic art, but yet more beautiful in the partial, though not dangerous, decay which had touched its pinnacles with pensive coloring, and softened its severer lines with unexpected change and delicate fracture, like sweet breaks in a distant music. Under the influence of this healthy impulse, repairs of the most extensive kind are at this moment proceeding, on the cathedrals of Rheims, Amiens, Rouen, Chartres, and Paris; (probably also in many other instances unknown to me). How many hours once wasted may now be profitably dedicated to pursuits in which interest was first awakened by some accidental display in the Norwood palace; how many constitutions, almost broken, may be restored by the healthy temptation into the country air; how many intellects, once dormant, may be roused into activity within the crystal walls, and how these noble results may go on multiplying and increasing and bearing fruit seventy times seven-fold, as the nation pursues its career,—are questions as full of hope as incapable of calculation. For the first time in the history of the world, a national museum is formed in which a whole nation is interested; formed on a scale which permits the exhibition of monuments of art in unbroken symmetry, and of the productions of nature in unthwarted growth,—formed under the auspices of science which can hardly err, and of wealth which can hardly be exhausted; and placed in the close neighborhood of a metropolis overflowing with a population weary of labor, yet thirsting for knowledge, where contemplation may be consistent with rest, and instruction with enjoyment. I find joy sometimes in moments I'm not looking for anything at all because life has exhausted me.Hard to bridge that gap especially being older and balancing family , work , and fitting in the energy to make meaningful music.And even more banal, perhaps, all my life (I'm 57 years old) I've found joy in looking at the clouds, or the full moon.I live within the confines of a mental illness that can be debilitating, so joy is some thing I pursue on a daily basis.But it is one thing to determine what should be done with the black line, in a period of highly disciplined and widely practiced art, and quite another thing to say what should be done with it, at this present time, in England.I live in a lovely home surrounded by a beautiful garden.On my own successful weight loss journey, I had to learn that the Lord never intended for us to carry the weight of the world. Joy is the special moment in life when you realize that at that very moment; you are experiencing a type of emotional bliss that rises and surpasses the minor trivialities and amusements that get us through the normal days. When I realize how rich my life is, I feel joy. I think of my kids, their laughter and hugs, about my loved ones and moments we spend together, friends and family, those present and already gone, everything we shared together or still will, small pleasures and privileges I may be entitled to, while someone else isn’t. Very often I find myself troubled to find joy in everyday life. My understanding of Joy is not the same as yours Nick.Joy is like a sneeze, it’s spontaneous and doesn’t ask permission.You can’t seek or choose to experience joy, and if joy can be bestowed, then it is most definitely free.Joy is not defined by size or level and has no criteria. Every battle-tested man ends his day the same way he started — in surrender. By the middle of the day, most men start to fade. Every repetition says, “Lord, this body belongs to You.” That’s how you win the first battle of the day. To answer the question, I find my joy within. First of all, I love that you address your privileged life. I find joy in music and finding my own interpretation of a song. I see joy in watching people hold hands; children, squealing, and play yards; seeing people reunite at airports. I find joy in big hugs; seeing old friends; and, seeing the friend I saw yesterday. Smoking.Zoos of Berlin- Trevor Naud, my favorite artist.Having nothing to do, nothing to worry about.I’ve had times when work has caused my belly to twist, lurch and contract in a wild desperate tailspin but this, thankfully, is not such a time.We believe Lord Lindsay is correct in thinking Orcagna the only artist who has dared it.A time will come when that zeal will be understood, and his works will be cherished with a melancholy gratitude when the pillars of Venice shall lie moldering in the salt shallows of her sea, and the stones of the goodly towers of Rouen have become ballast for the barges of the Seine.I answer farther, by the statement of a simple fact.So joy must be rooted in actively living what we are engaged in now - what is happening now - and not in retrospect.Studies demonstrate that intermittent fasting can help people with weight loss, but there’s some controversy about whether it helps with healthy weight loss.Maybe it was a devastating breakup that made you question whether you are lovable. I appreciate the fact that I have a small part in raising them, in being a member of the village. I did not have children and will never be a grandmother, but these children love me and I them. I find my joy in volunteering at an after school program for Latino elementary school students. I find joy sitting with a cool beverage just watching my bees come and go. That experience of chatting and sharing and ‘laying it all bare’ connection is pure Joy. The unseasonably warm day in a dreary February. He had an incredible capacity to find joy in the simple things, like biting into the perfect cheese scone, or finding a smooth, flat pebble full of skimming potential. I'm still trying to find myself in this life, but I really fell good in nature, forests specially. For some time I though I was most happy when I was sad, melancholic. That nobody else in the world could appreciate this thing like I do. I find joy in the little hidden places that I don’t think anyone else is looking in. Forcing myself to find pleasure in the mundane, because after all it makes up most of the day. Laughing a little harder, hugging a little longer, describing flavors and smells, smiling at kids, holding doors for people. I live within the confines of a mental illness that can be debilitating, so joy is some thing I pursue on a daily basis. A few pages farther on, the question of Giotto's claim to the authorship of the designs for this door is discussed at length, and, to the annihilation of the honor here attributed to Andrea, determined affirmatively, partly on the testimony of Vasari, partly on internal evidence—these designs being asserted by our author to be "thoroughly Giottesque." But, not to dwell on Lord Lindsay's inconsistency, in the ultimate decision his discrimination seems to us utterly at fault. Does he—can he for an instant suppose that the ruffian Caravaggio, distinguished only by his preference of candlelight and black shadows for the illustration and re-enforcement of villainy, painted nature—mere nature—exclusive nature, more painfully or heartily than John Bellini or Raphael? The finer feeling of the hand cannot be put upon a hard rock like syenite—the blow must be firm and fearless—the traceless, tremulous difference between common and immortal sculpture cannot be set upon it—it cannot receive the enchanted strokes which, like Aaron's incense, separate the Living and the Dead. We shall therefore, as fully as our space admits, examine the application of our author's theory to Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting, successively, setting before the reader some of the more interesting passages which respect each art, while we at the same time mark with what degree of caution their conclusions are, in our judgment, to be received. Such analogies are always treacherous, for the amount of expression of individual mind which Art can convey is dependent on so many collateral circumstances, that it even militates against the truth of any particular system of interpretation that it should seem at first generally applicable, or its results consistent. At the moment, there is a steady stream of whistling in the house. It might not seem like a big deal, but she's 6 and 3/4 (as a parent I'm sure you're aware of how important the 3/4) and the unbridled joy it brings her and now me. But through a practice of mindfulness, I've come to see the incredible beauty in the temporary nature of everything. Now you feel joy—a deep sense of connection, meaning, or elation that can momentarily overwhelm you. If I probe this feeling just a bit deeper, it’s beguiling and fuels a sense of wonder, and true belonging. Sir, yes, sir, with joyful hearts we will be waiting for Mr. Cave and his Wild Bad Seeds. Neighbours invisible in their own houses, magpies darting through the droning sound of Australian bugs and insects – My body sweat-cleansed, my mind clear. Sometimes she'll fall for this, but sometimes not. I lay traps for my joy.I know joy likes a nutritious meal, so I'll fix one up for her and throw in that favorite spice she likes (tarragon). I really hope to see you live someday! I put on a rather daggy album that he used to play back then, and as the tune went on, joy came upon me in glorious waves until there were tears streaming down my stupid smiling face. The other day I was missing my dad. Charitable Care & Financial Assistance I keep a `moments of joy` list these days and it gives me a hit when I read back through it ! Joy , in my experience , is of a fleeting nature, and that I recognise it makes me happy .To find joy , to open yourself up to those moments, well, I believe you practise this already. In this past months I had a lot to think about the substantial questions in life and "Where do people find joy?" definitely is one of them. But I was one with the others in the extasy for this music and in this collective experience my heart cracked open. But you try even in the darkness times.That's why I love you, you sing to me anytime I needed to heart it. Less than zero, with no iota of clinging - yet at the same time miraculously full. Pure and unfettered joy, in my opinion, is dropping everything we think we know. I find joy in reading a good book, watching an excellent film or play, or even an overly dramatic reality tv show. Possibly.I also find it in simple things, like the change of seasons, especially now, as Summer turns to Fall, and days get cooler, and the leaves change colors in glorious fashion. The Ultimate Guide to Weight Loss God’s Way Don’t focus on seeking the favor of men, do it because you love God and you love yourself. Having self-control is a must to lose weight. Once you do your part, He will do His part. Losing weight can be stressful and overwhelming. This makes us, the children of God different from other people. I haven’t experienced a joy greater than this intertwined act of experiencing human life and playing with it. The silly, the goofy, the foolish acts of love, these maybe not-so-smart and not-so-realistic and not-so-money-making attempts at throwing ourselves to the world, sometimes quietly under the rain and sometimes yelling through the fields. Isn’t it mind boggling to realize that we are all walking this earth, looking at the cosmos through human eyes with no proof that we weren’t the blade of grass we just walked past in another time-space continuum? On other days, I'll find myself well-rested, feeling connected to myself and those around me. To feel joy on these days, I have to take slow and careful steps to bring my world back into balance. Christian Weight Loss: 7 Truths for How to Lose Weight with God’s Guidance I actively seek joy each and every morning when I look outside and see the birds flying. I find joy in holding my wife's hand while praying together with gratitude to God for our Love and for the wonderful gift of Life, here and now. These small joys build up to happiness for me, I think. I have been questioning whether I am happy. Unlike diets, TBYT addresses emotional eating at its root cause—your thoughts, emotions, and Spiritual needs—so you can experience freedom, peace, and the abundant life God has planned for you. However, Take Back Your Temple is not about living a diet, but about living abundant life in Christ.He loves you to life! What if that effort could be replaced with clarity, support, and peace, starting today? This is the heart of Take Back Your Temple.Not a diet. I find my joy in my cats, good friends, books, music and especifically in learning languages! But when I am open and feeling at peace with myself then I can see the world for what it is, a true collection of beauty and wonder of which I am forever in awe of. What this tells me in terms of joy is that if I am interacting with the world with a negative state of mind then that will always tarnish the beauty of that which surrounds me and I can never find joy in anything. In this context, the authors identify six different factors that have facilitated the mediation of these issues between the two countries, trying to explain why this solution could be found today and not at some other time in history.I can’t say much other then that, but there is joy here in these words as I prepare to sleep next to love.In the ensuing years, I’ve felt joy on countless occasions.On this shared by all rollercoaster of life we have the choice to throw our arms in the air and yell Whoaaaa..As showing gigantic power of hand, joined with utmost accuracy and rapidity, the folds of drapery under the breast of the Virgin are, perhaps, as marvelous a piece of work as could be found in any picture, of whatever time or master.Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.I wonder if maybe joy is always there, like the air, like the sky.What brings me joy is listening to a Bob Dylan song (often from Time Out of Mind) in the car, first thing in the morning, as I hurry off to work, drifting down into the abattoir. Take the 5 Day Weight Loss Challenge for Catholic Women You are a child of God, and even though you are in this world, be kingdom-minded. You have the mind of Christ and you can achieve everything that you plan to do! Most of the people quit within the first 2 weeks of January. How Many Calories Should You Eat in a Day? Joy, it's the little moments even in the big moments it's the little moments I find joy, could be the smell of my morning coffee, often lately that's all I have as I'm not drinking alcohol much at all as it will go south very quickly. You feel joy as you feel complexity, because "World is suddener than we fancy it.World is crazier and more of it than we think, Incorrigibly plural." it is always more than is visible to the naked eye and you are bowing in gratitude to that crazy moment. So when you have searched out various loves, the present moments are filled with willing ghosts that are ready to reanimate the moment, to set in on fire for you. The other day I got up so broken from many sleepless nights with small children that I had to keep asking my invisible self to push me to work. I find joy in many little things that come and go unexpectedly. Acknowledge them and smile outwardly and that joy will linger longer. You’ll find joy in these gentle observations. I am moved to tears of joy by a crowd at a concert joining together to proclaim love without inhibition, singing with the performer, sharing the emotions of a song. Sometimes in the middle of all of this, sometimes I remember joy. Constantly during these past years we have been ground down by loss, and forgotten what joy is. The cockatoo who, this morning, shrieked through my moment of hard-won quietude and reminded me that I am, in fact, a fool—searching, for barely a moment, for his way among the flowers. And I assure you, it will give you a little joy.(I just tried Dolly Parton, and she made me laugh). As I write this, it occurs to me that I feel joy most acutely when I am serving others, and when I feel love or am receiving love. It was a collective endeavour and provided a certain joy – the joy in the revelations of someone else’s insights and clear articulation of the nature of the currents we swim in, taken to extremes in past times – i.e. a regression into organised loneliness. Walking out the door on a spring day, feeling the sun on my face. It’s more like hearing the tick tock rhythm in my breath, in my life, in the life around me, embracing and even celebrating that rhythm. Wouldn’t being aware of time keep me more focused on the clock than living? All of these tendencies keep me out of the present, keep me from experiencing the present, missing joy. That this is what life is all about, which has made me realise i’ve been looking in the wrong places to feel truly, unconditionally loved and appreciated because it’s been there all along. Sometimes it’s lonely and sad and the world feels heavy and hard but it’s the times I get to be around my friends and family I get this feeling that it’s worth it. But eventually my own life extended and there were struggles, triumphs and all manner of experiences that he could never have imagined.When I lost my partner suddenly last year I was reasonably surprised that I could make the decision to work for joy. I find joy in interacting positively with other humans, mostly my loved ones but also strangers and people I encounter while sharing experiences or working as a nurse. I whole heartedly agree that joy is indeed a choice, a by-product of showing up, letting in and giving back.In my experience of "seeking joy" or "following bliss" as a means of finding a path forward, this path becomes intertwined with nervousness, doubt, struggle and discomfort. Great food and good conversation.Joy is beyond ego, experienced not in the mind but deep in the inner fire of our heartIf joy is a decision, are we equally endowed with the necessary agency within the constraints of the human condition?By others it has been asserted that all questions respecting materials or manipulation are idle and impertinent; that the methods of the older masters were either of no peculiar value, or are still in our power; that a great painter is independent of all but the simplest mechanical aids, and demonstrates his greatness by scorn of system and carelessness of means.Help me remain content at each phase of losing weight.I am not going to say anything here about the various errors in our systems of society and commerce, which appear (I am not sure if they ever do more than appear) to force us to overwork ourselves merely that we may live; nor about the still more fruitful cause of unhealthy toil—the incapability, in many men, of being content with the little that is indeed necessary to their happiness.So if you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, your sedentary lifestyle could be a big culprit in weight gain. I know my adversary the devil wants my mind focused on worrying about how I look, what others think of me, and anxiety over my health failing. I am guilty of sometimes choosing food over your peaceful comfort. It’s so easy to envy her healthy habits and feel sorry for ourselves, which only causes us to overeat more. Yesterday I had a regression therapy session. (I did once, a true and aware connection with a small river boulder that said hi. Had a short but profound chat. Don't know how to explain that one so I won't even try.)When I feel depressed, I feel disconnected from everything, everyone and my own core Self. Fleeting but powerful enough even for a brief moment to sustain me in Joy. And that, quite simply, Nick, is how I find my joy. I once paid good money for an art course called "Find Your Joy"; it turned out to be pure rubbish. (How do we find "meaning" is a much richer thing to ask, but that's so darn specific for each person.) Anyway, joy. Perhaps it's less about how we each "find joy" and rather how we "define joy". Oh good lord, we wouldn't be reading you if joy were all that important, now would we? I find the most joy in things that nurture connection. Prayer to Negotiate Support from Those Closest to Me God my Rock, I’m feeling a bit under-supported by those closest to me as I’m embarking on this weight-loss plan.Guide me to make healthy choices that honor my body and support my weight loss journey.For the better part of a year, many abjured the traditional laws of Judaism and adhered to new norms established by the Messiah and his prophet Nathan of Gaza.3 With great speed, this enthusiasm became a widespread phenomenon, as no less a historian than E.I have learned that seeking joy often demands great exertion, a willingness to find–or even simply identify–it even, or especially, in the face of my malaise.May He richly bless you for your service to Him & His people.Bringing presence into a moment gives you the chance to find joy almost anywhere.I hope that joy hits you out of the blue in a huge wave that washes over and rebounds and floods and sprays and soaks through every single other living being in this universe for at least one moment in life. Both Scholem and Teitelbaum considered the middle of the twentieth century as a period of crisis, and each, in his own way, turned to Zizath novel zvi as part of a larger response to that crisis. Chapter 6, “Aftermath,” surveys the last three decades of Sasportas’s life, when he moved between Hamburg, Amsterdam, Livorno, and Amsterdam again. Unlike the overwhelming majority of Sephardim in northwestern Europe, Sasportas had little to say about Christianity for much of his life. Chapter 1, “Exile,” plots the life of Sasportas prior to Sabbatianism. What emerges is that several of Scholem’s central insights into Sabbatianism, such as the phenomenological parallel between early Christianity and Sabbatianism or Scholem’s emphasis on the pious faithful people of Israel, had their origins in Zizath novel zvi. Take a multivitamin, and eat potassium-rich foods (tomatoes, oranges, and bananas). You should tell your doctor what you're doing, and be sure to include protein in your diet ( grams per day). But if you're otherwise healthy, a brief period of extreme calorie reduction isn't likely to hurt you. Ephedra (ma-huang) is an herb once used for weight loss.“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”I find my joy in the records of the Bon Scott era AC/DC.Those songs are heartbursting.When I hear Bon, and Angus and Malcolm, they evoke the 13 year old in me.I have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours observing the sun as it sets across from my window, and not a moment wasted.I have surrrendered to life on saturday.Is it because we aren’t at home in the water, are strangers on earth, then, and so we see the world with a stranger’s delight?Few things in life can give me that wonderful feeling; my children and my wife.Maybe it’s just exhaustion from living in a diet culture that tells us we have to constantly hustle for worthiness. In place of a tired old focus on the color of people we are experimenting with a healthy new focus on the "color" in people-on their remarkable systems of thinking and the resulting behaviors. The answer to questions such as who radicalizes, why people radicalize, and the forms radical action takes lies in the interaction of supranational processes, national political processes, and the context of political mobilization. Lightheadedness is not the same as dizziness from vertigo, which refers to feeling like your surroundings are spinning. A full body detox is one way to help your body ... How does one makes it OK to feel joy within this environment? It’s been fun to go back and see all the history and put the emergence of “wild god” in greater context, and to reconnect with my own experience of being your fan. I cultivate the possibility of joy within the utter ordinariness of my life. I enjoy my job, my food, my beer. Sometimes it's driving home on a Friday knowing I have 2 days work reprieve. I find joy sometimes in the midst of grief. To experience joy one must be attentive to the now. She is far away but always in my heart. So, I think, my true joy is when I can find that perfect moment where I can do both. You’ve been so scarce since my mother died when I was five.I am 67, with the full and privileged and un endangered life mentioned in your intro to the question, Nick.How strange the words sound; how little does it seem possible to conceive of majesty, and gravity, and deliberation in the daily track of modern life.Do you feel guilty about your lack of physical activity?And it is silly, actually, but it has the power to keep me standing and alive for that day.The best source of joy for me is actually art.You had asked us readers about what brings us joy.Stepping on a leaf and getting that perfect crunching sound.Or sometimes joy comes from more reliable, tried and true places; those things and beings that make your heart burst.CS Lewis, one of my favourite authors, wrote a beautiful autobiographical piece called ‘Surprised By Joy” which is a play on words given he found love so late in life and the woman’s name was Joy. And then sometimes I can see myself without her, or more accurately, I see myself after her. Sometimes when this happens, I get to see a glimpse of us in the future, when we are old and we barely do anything but sit and talk, and we have had kids old enough to have left us to live their own lives, and we are still listening to these beautiful songs. Being a Joy Excavator myself, i was beyond stoked to be asked this question. Be impatient and on the lookout, ready to welcome it in whenever it might be, that joy decides to spit on you again. The joy that visits me cannot be captured and stored, tamed or stuffed like a loyal dog we had to put to sleep.Don’t be greedy for joy, Nick. There were times when I didn’t want to attend church because I was embarrassed by my looks and none of my clothes fit well. One of the most challenging times to worship is when you are stuck in a downward cycle of sadness and depression. I needed to pour God’s word of truth into my life on a regular basis in order to change my thought patterns. These words of truth became my lifeline. Accepting God’s grace frees you from the overeat-guilt-overeat more cycle where many people are stuck. Before we move on, I want to debunk a common myth — that focusing on weight loss is purely about vanity for Christian women. Imagine if Jesus Christ was at the center of your weight loss journey… If you’ve ever struggled with body image, it’s probably safe to say you’ve had some negative experiences with diet culture and dieting. In this post, you’ll see how a Christian weight loss journey is radically different from the toxic diet culture trends. But joy seems to have the upper hand as a more 'worthy' emotion. The meanings I've found seem to have them as interchangeableJoy was described as being of the moment, short-lived. This Birmingham evening will be special though, for its joys, when realised, will be brought into focus by what I would have come so close to losing. If we lean on the immense love and care we hold for one another, if we listen and empathise, exhibit patience and faith, if we do so many of the right things we already have. I introduced her to this musician and have so relentlessly played his music around her, she’s been sonically waterboarded to regard him her favourite too (well, maybe top two). The chance to take a breath, regroup, and start climbing out of the pit feels merciful at times. At first I thought of all the people, things, and events that brought me joy - but that didn't quite answer the question for me.Then I thought well, I seek out joy. I believe this is it, these fleeting moments full of clarity and joy. The joy of loving and being loved, the joy of coincidence of finding my partner and finding my sense of direction, the joy in who I am and the joy in who I can become. I remember feeling the absolute relief and joy of tears of sadness, following a protracted, dark and numbing depression. She's celebrates her 23rd birthday this September. It exists and I am lucky to be a part of it. I have recently read that our mindset is 50% genetic, 10% circumstantial and 40% down to intentional actions. Even the thought of those two brings me joy.I could myself very lucky. Can you tell I’m thrilled with the idea of joy as a verb? The simplest joy is plotting paths for me and my spawn to navigate this burning planet with compassion and grace. I find joy in the loam, the garden beds, the forest, the mycelium fruit. Like a muscle to be strengthened we practice opening up our atoms and letting joy IN!! I also live a privileged, unencumbered life but I believe in seeing it that way. I take my inspiration from the traditional Japanese way of achieving joy by taking pride and fulfilment from a small thing done to the best of my ability. I find joy in the beautiful Vampire's Wife Liberty print silk shirt that I will keep until I am an old lady.I find joy in the connection we all have with the Red Hand Files and the beautiful people of the Vortex a wonderful and joyful community of joyful creations. I find joy when I look up surprised to see the moon during the day like a fingernail sliver.I find joy in being caught in the rain and babies smiling at me unexpectedly and cats wanting to follow me home. Just like I find joy in the predictably loved Keats, Shelley and Byron's poetry - because they are masters of words. I used to think work brought me joy but perhaps it's not the best place to rest your happiness.Of course joy is coupled with sadness, which is something I appreciate in your writing, but today it's just the joy. The eternal guiding stars blow kisses from afar, sailing as loneliness beat back the weathering ships.Back to safe harbors embrace, with light and love, while the creative power is cast back to the lifegiving, soul drenching void. Given all of what has gone into my life, I really couldn’t be writing words different than these. I still don’t care about happy, but I do my best to get open for joy. Sometimes I tap into it.Each connection has been fleeting yet I also sense that I can always get another. Help me to turn to You when I feel tempted and find the courage to stay on track. Strengthen my willpower to choose what is best for my body. Help me to approach each meal with gratitude and make choices that reflect my commitment to health. Help me to focus on eating what is good for my body and soul. The joy and beauty of being intimately connected to another. Cooking for my friends each Sunday. There was an assumption in the question, that I was happy, and that I was was actively taking steps to reach that state. I think chosen joy is different than this fleeting-spirit kind, but it is a better alternative to hand wringing and anger. When I feel it, I stop and revel! Take a moment on your next walk outside to stop and stare at the nature all around you. It brings me great joy on a walk to look (I mean to really look - closely) at the intricacies of nature and to marvel at its beauty. My joy today was cooking mushroom risotto for my family. Now 54, joy-in-the-body has become elusive and more challenging. To me, happiness is the relatively continuous prolongation of contentment with everything, whether it’s there or not, but joy is the unexpected, surprising side of that same coin. I’m not one for dictionaries, but I feel like I can’t understand the answer that I’ll give without making the distinction, in my mind and on paper. A few days ago, the sunflowers started to bloom in earnest, adding platters of sunshine colors to the landscape, and with them came the birds. I have surrrendered to life on saturday. I haven't found any resolution to this part.This is neither an answer nor a question really, just a pondering that I haven't been able to get out of my head since sending my reply. But the aim simply cannot be a joyless life! My joy or self worth does not come from what size clothes I wear, but what my Jesus did for me and that He chose me to be with Him eternally. Does being thin really mean so much to us that we feel it is such a stumbling block to success? Some people really have nothing to do to be freed from obesity or other things, instant healing is a reality. It’s important not to have that legalistic mindset, which is a mistake we all tend to make. She just melted away, no lifestyle changes needed. Taylor Swift's Wedding To Travis Kelce May Be Called Off Because Of Blake Lively, Report Reveals The only great painters in our schools of painting in England have either been of portrait—Reynolds and Gainsborough; of the philosophy of social life—Hogarth; or of the facts of nature in landscape—Wilson and Turner. "Thus end all the arts of life, only in death; and thus issue all the gifts of man, only in his dishonor, when they are pursued or possessed in the service of pleasure only." One of the most curious things in the mind of the people of that century is their delight in these four elements, and in the four seasons. It would have been selfish and grossly unfair to any woman who wanted to build an emotional bond with me to engage when my heart was under construction. Joy arises in the experience of love like bubbles in a glass of champagne. But, also, paradoxically, ( the christian journey/story is so full of paradox, which I kind of love, as so is life...) I've felt the deepest pain when there too. I think that my purest joy has been when I feel most connected to God.