The Conditions for Joy

Joy is the purpose of life but not the goal of life. Goals are things we pursue directly; the purpose of something, however, is the reason for its existence. While joy is our purpose and the essential reason for our existence, joy elusive when pursued directly as a goal. When it comes to joy, this distinction is essential to understand. Our materialist culture sells happiness based on acquisition of products, consumption of experiences, and attainment of certain status symbols whether they be cars, houses, jobs, clothing, or idealized standards of beauty. We know that lasting happiness or joy is not the result of any of these things though, as a culture, what we spend our time and money on suggest that we may need to remember some deeper wisdom that we have collectively forgotten. Joy cannot be acquired directly like purchasing a new phone. Rather, joy is experienced when the conditions for joy are present. Joy is much more like growing a garden than buying a product. The garden flourishes by an intentional cultivation of the right conditions for plants to prosper--rich soil, ample water, sufficient sunshine, and lots of care. When all the conditions are in place, the garden flourishes. Likewise, if we struggle to find deep joy, it may be helpful to ask ourselves, “Are we creating the right conditions for joy?” In my life, I understand these conditions for joy to be mindfulness, gratitude, self-care, care for others, humility, compassion for all beings (including myself), and trust. Join our community of mindfulness and compassion as a way to cultivate the conditions for joy to flourish.

Weekend Wisdom is a weekly sharing from Copper Beech Institute’s founder, Dr. Brandon Nappi.