It is Joy!
“To walk on the Earth is to embrace the Earth and draw from it everything you need. Any human being on the planet today can take off their shoes and stand in the dirt and instantly know everything there is to know.
”
Two years ago, or what now seems like a lifetime ago, I co-led a group on a journey to Damanhur, Italy. If you have not been or do not know about Damanhur, this is truly a magical place that is dedicated to, in my words, helping humanity evolve into our potential. Everywhere you look there is exquisite artwork — sculptures, mosaics, murals, selfica, and so much more. And then there’s the food, ohh, dark chocolate covered homemade violet gelato, need I say more?! Being in Damanhur feels like walking in the most wonderful dream.
The author’s sculpture
While there, we participated in an art workshop with one of their master sculptors, Facocero Radicchio. This was a powerful and challenging experience as many of us had never worked with clay before and we were being asked to create a sculpture of ourselves. As we were intently working, Facocero yelled out, “It is joy!” And then asked us to repeat. We all looked at each other and mumbled back to him. But he would not accept this. He made us yell (several times), “It is joy!” We could not contain ourselves and laughed at the ridiculousness. Throughout the day, he would spontaneously shout this. To which we would return, “It is joy!” Our shouts becoming more boisterous as the day went on and in the end, we continued to shout this to each other long after our trip ended.
I am thinking about this today as I look at the winter landscape outside my window. It has been a bizarre and difficult year. A year of many deaths and illnesses, cancelled vacations and explorations, seclusion, quiet, zoom holidays and family celebrations, insufficient hugs, missing family and friends, as well as, uncertainty and confusion. Even before the pandemic, I could find my self overwhelmed and saddened by the struggles of the world — the desecration of Nature, climate change, systemic racism, poverty, subjugation of women, politics, and the seemingly never ending list of atrocities. Fortunately, when I’m feeling low, my body instinctively knows that I need to spend time with Nature. After all, Nature is the best healer.
In no time at all, my Heart begins to overflow with Beauty and wonder. No matter the weather, the time of year or time of day, I can find something that makes me want to shout, “It is joy!” For as Robin Wall Kimmerer writes in Braiding Sweetgrass, “Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”
I know that life can be extremely challenging; however, ultimately, life is meant to be enjoyed. We only have a short time to experience this incredible world and the many gifts ki has to share. How is your relationship with Joy? Are you enjoying life? Are you appreciating the wonders around you? If not, why not? Can you pause and spend even five minutes in Nature? This can be gazing at the sky or appreciating a Plant growing in the sidewalk. We often think that spending time in Nature is supposed to be an elaborate excursion, spending a day or a week in the Wild. Nature is all around us, we are meant to spend as much time as possible with her, daily. Our very wellbeing is dependent on this. We also often tell ourselves that we don’t have time for joy or play or pleasure. Or that we will have more time for this after _____ (retirement, our children are grown, a project is complete), but there is always some other distraction. The truth is joy is a necessity. If we are not experiencing this, we need to make it a priority. I think one of the gifts of the pandemic is an opportunity to reprioritize our lives. We are being asked to live more in alignment with Nature.
Appreciation is an important tool for enjoying life. The truth is that we can look out and see struggle and work or we can look out and see Beauty and marvels. The only difference is our perspective and appreciation can change this. So when life is dragging or I’m succumbing to the difficulties, I choose to pause and appreciate. This often requires getting close and looking at the details. I mean simply think about the many processes that are required for you to live your day or even breathe. Or think about what all occurs to bring food to your table, remember the soil microorganisms and the rain. The more we ponder and appreciate, the more we realize that we experience miracles daily and the more we become filled with gratitude. (Appreciation is also a magical tool for creating a happy, healthy relationship.)
I am not suggesting that we ignore the struggles of life or ignore our sadness or anger. These are important and they are only a small portion of life. My teacher Rocío Alarcón taught me to focus on the solution. We focus on what we want to create. I want to create a more beautiful world, where all Beings are honored. In this process, I want to experience the delights and mysteries of this amazing Earth; therefore, I choose to enjoy life.
Besides, this is what Nature asks me to do. For it is Joy!
“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.
”