The Lost Art of Joy

Joy is as prominent as suffering. Accepting suffering with a joy is not impossible.  If I were to say that joy suffers neglect on humanity’s part in comparison to the complaining of sufferings, this would still not accurately relate to joy, how could joy absorb any neglect, any cruelty itself? This is joy, and we have it, the ability to be joyous. We own this emotion in every laugh, every smile and wonderful thought. We can suffer joy to the meditations of all that’s wrong, suffer it to doubt. Can we broaden this scope of perceptive and gain less than what we know, so we might learn something in each moment by accepting joy as constant, accept this as an option.
Joy is sincere, creating paradigm shifts; such as, knowing suffering is a time to embrace ourselves and others more lovingly. It’s liberating to accept anything others could ever possibly feel, do, or believe, and still accept ourselves and others with a genuine joy. There is joy in being okay when we fail. Acceptance is joy. Understanding is joy. Not fighting and defending and denying is joy. Being able to enjoy the work day is joy. The workday doesn’t create joy. We create joy. We own joy. It is ours. We can feel it whenever we want. We know love. We can know joy when we have nothing, when we are nothing. It is still there in love, it is still there in the power of a choice.
Joy is magic and medicine. Chase it down everyday by setting the attitude of a thing. Everything is then a piece of art. Joy is not searched for by the tree; for example, the tree just exists in its joyful state because it is a tree. A tree is known for its stability, beauty, triumph, seasonal changes and endurance. We accept the tree. Do we accept the human? Do we accept ourselves? Can we take joy in ourselves as to take joy in a tree, or the ocean, or the hillside, or the city. It is a joyful outlook to see the art in all of us.
Joy smashes hidden pains and resents, the ones that poison the world. We are superheros, joyful even while sad, while desolated. To deny the benefit and possibilities of joy, is still taking joy in making that point. Joy doesn’t seem like the easiest avenue, but it is.  We take joy in the struggle because we have to to survive. Joy is a lost art, morphing our perspectives. When people pick up joy, we paint the world a better place. I vote for joy-art. Human joy-art, finding the joy in everything, even in conflict, there is joy in the cause. In loss, there is joy in what remains. Joy, who will care for it? Who will want it? Who will wield it and become- an artist?