My friend, Michelle Stimpson sent me a little booklet entitled joy, which had the following quote:
“There are souls in this world who have the gift of finding joy everywhere and leaving it behind them when they go.”
~ Frederick William Faber
I think most of us know at least a few people like that. Michelle embodies that attitude and is well-known for the amazing smile of pure joy she displays in every picture she’s in.
Aren’t joyful (joy-full) people great to be around? They also tend to have a lot of very positive influence on those whose lives they touch; the result of that attitude.
The good news is that we can all work on ourselves to be more like the person Mr. Faber described in that quote. And, like Michelle.
Live in joy!
Question: How do YOU find joy in everyday life and then share it with others?
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Hi Bob!
I believe that the root of joy is in gratitude.
The more grateful we are for every “little” gift that we’re experiencing, the more joy we’re able to experience.
I wrote “little” because I don’t really consider (for instance) the ability to see as a little gift. I just noticed that we take a lot of things for granted when in reality they’re not.
Here’s to find, to create and to share joy!
Bruno: Thank you. Terrific points, all around!
Joy is such a small word – yet so powerful. I agree with what Bruno says – the key is gratitude.
To put it into Go-Giver-ese (yes, that IS a word :)) and to quote Law 5 – “The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.” To effective give joy we must be able to recognize and ‘receive’ the joys placed in our path.
Thanks for a short – yet powerful – post Bob.
I felt the joy leaping out of this post, Bob, great job.
I gotta agree with Bruno and Bill, gratitude created joy.
I would also say just looking for it. Wherever I’m at, no matter how I’m
feeling, if I focus on finding/seeing joy I find it.
An example for me would be doing laundry, it’s definitely not my favorite and
I often have a lot to do and could find myself in a state other than joy over it.
However, if I start to think about how blessed I am to have so many clothes, how blessed I
am to have amazing kids that wear the clothes and that I have the opportunity to buy clothes for
my state totally changes and I am totally enjoying the privilege of doing the laundry.
Life is joy and knowing people like you, Bob, helps too! Thanks…Edie
Bill: Thank you. I love it! 🙂
Edie: What an awesome, wisdom-filled commentary, my friend. Wonderful points and a great re-frame of gratitude. Thank you for sharing!
Gratitude, absolutely! It begins there, but as Edie so rightly said, living in joy is fully realized in what many would not notice or consider mundane. Our daily tasks, the scent of newly mowed grass, a crisp apple that causes juice to run down your chin, an elderly person’s wrinkled hands…beauty and wonder is all around us. For me, drinking in the many little miracles of life and fully appreciating how incredibly blessed I am to experience each one is how I live JOY.
Cathie: Thank you. Very powerful, indeed. Gratitude for the “little things” accelerates gratitude for the “big things.” You have truly mastered the “attitude of gratitude.” Thank you for sharing with us!
I smiled when I saw Michelle and Bill’s picture before I realized you had even posted a comment about them. They are a couple that lives every day full of joy and are such an inspiration to be around.
My boys bring me joy every day. I enjoy watching them create new “things” and make new friends. I often remind them to “smile at someone new today” whenever I drop them off at school or a social event. Sometimes I catch them rolling their eyes at me but it never fails that by the time they reach the door I see a smile. It’s the little things. Love it.
Lisa: Thank you for your comment. I agree with you about Michelle and Bill. They’re amazing. And, I love that advice to your kinds. Sounds like your great kids have a great Mom! 🙂
I enjoy giving joy through good words and kindness. Sometimes, I just say or sing funny things to make people laugh.
Amy: You are one of the most joyful people I know! 🙂
Hi Bob!
Wow, thank you SO much for thinking of me and for honoring me with this beautiful post! I’m so humbled and grateful, and especially because you are someone I deeply respect and admire – this post thoroughly filled my heart. Thank you!
Reading your post helped me clarify and affirm what’s most important to me. My purpose in life is to embrace the things that bring me joy…and then share that joy with others. In fact, my husband, Bill, and I just finished up our current mission statement a couple weeks ago! A portion of it reads: “As soulmates, adventure partners, and lovers of life – we embrace, appreciate, and celebrate all aspects of life. By boldly living our passion and sharing our joy – individually and as a couple – we inspire others to fully live their BEST life.”
It can be easy to overcomplicate life, but in boiling it all down to the simplicity of “living in joy” – I get energized (“Joy” is my middle name, after all!). And I have realized through the years that when I’m doing my thing and living in joy, it inspires others to do that in their own lives. A client of mine is currently experiencing some serious health issues, and I asked how I could best support her during this tough time. Her response? “Keep doing fun things and post updates on Facebook because that inspires me and makes me feel good.” Point taken.
Your blog post was published as Bill & I were right smack in the middle of our “10th Annual Summer Concert Road Trip” and we were getting ready to see Paul McCartney that night! Your message couldn’t have been more timely, as that was a night of experiencing big-time joy with 50,000 others under the stars. So, that afternoon as we left the hotel room for our big adventure, we paused to remember you and your post. Its message cheered us on and affirmed us that we’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to be doing: staying true to living in joy.
Thank you, my friend, for blessing the world with your positivity and love. We’re deeply grateful for your friendship and support!
Wishing you love and joy!
Michelle (& Bill!)
Michelle (and Bill): There is practically nothing I can say in response to your amazing note but thank you; thank you for being who you are, for knowing your purpose and mission, and for staying totally congruent with it…and knowing that is how you best bring value to everyone whose lives (like mine) that you touch. I think I’ll just keep coming back to your note every time I need some inspiration or a shot of…joy! Thank you so much again!!!!!
This is why Wy loves to read Bob’s posts and listen to his interviews. He always put a joyful application on my volunteer and advocacy work!
Wy: Thank you!
What a great blog Bob and what a great way to end the work week. Leaves me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside because that’s how joy feels to me.
I try to find and share joy everyday by making people smile. The way I see it, a smile can only be born from joy so each time I make someone smile, I know that I have brought that one small moment of joy in their life. And their smile naturally reflects the joy right back into me.
For me, joy is as simple as this: “If you want to give and receive the gift of JOY, Just Open Yourself up to it.” ~ Mitch P.
Have a great weekend full of fun and adventure everyone. And thanks again for sharing Bob.
Mitch P.: Thank YOU, both for your kind and complimentary words, and for sharing your “joy-full” wisdom with us! Great weekend to you, as well! 🙂