Picture your life.  Now imagine being told you might have two weeks to live.  Now imagine what you would do differently if you had more time. Thirteen years ago, my doctor told me I had a life-threatening tumor and I had two weeks before surgery.  I wasn't happy with the news, but it made me reflect on the joy I had in my life.  And ever since my surgery, I have been committed to living a life of joy come what may.  And my, oh my, has plenty come my way.  Just when I thought I was out of the woods, I have had one health challenge after another the last eight years.  But I'm still standing!  And I am determined that nothing and no one will steal my joy.

            I often hear people talk about wanting to be happy.  In my opinion, joy is so much better--it supersedes happiness.  Happiness, to me, depends on one's life circumstances.  In other words, if a person feels good about something that happens in their life--an external force--they are happy.  Joy, on the other hand, is about the state of one's soul.  It looks beyond external circumstances and, instead, is about gratitude for life itself.  I believe joy is a choice. For example, if you watched the news coverage from the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, you may have noticed that immediately after the earthquake some of the victims lifted their eyes and arms in praise to God.  Clearly, they were not happy about their circumstances--some of them lost family members, friends, and their worldly possessions.  But their ability to praise God appeared to represent something beyond their external circumstances--something deep on the inside.  That's what I call joy.  Joy reaches the dark places and wraps your soul in a protective blanket of strength, courage, and resilience to go on.

            The sole purpose of this website is to encourage joy and joyful living.  So many times, we put off doing the work necessary to find joy or, if we have joy, living a joyful life until . . . (fill in the blank).  But what if "until" never comes?  Or, what if, as in my case, you are faced with a life-altering, punch-in-the-gut circumstance that could mean you've run out of time?  My goal is to encourage you to begin living a joyful life now.  One day, you will be out of time and, when that day comes, wouldn't it be wonderful to know that you had more joy than your heart could hold?  And that you lived your life consistent with that joy?  What constitutes joyful living is different for everyone.  It may relate to spirituality, love, cultivating meaningful relationships, philanthropy, volunteering, fulfilling dreams, traveling, etc.  Whatever it is, the important thing is to find it and live it.  Tomorrow is not promised . . . choose joy today!

hopejoy@livingmyjoy.com

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