In the continued spirit of uplift from a previous newsletter celebrating joy, I offer more visions of the joy I’ve photographed over the years. I believe more people, especially in the U.S. are thinking about joy more than ever—and all at the exact same time. I hope you feel these aspect of joy deep into your bones.
If you had to choose between joy or bliss,
which would you rather be “inflicted” with?
Joy being a happy state of mind for a relative short period. Bliss being a continuous state of happiness rooted deep in the spirit no matter the situation or surroundings. These are the two options I’ll offer for this newsletter.
Here’s Edwin. As part of the house music community. He and I share a profound enjoyment of house music. It serves to activate dopamine & serotonin levels and responses—ultimately driving the joy or bliss that is derived.
Joy’s not an emotion that’s “always on.” It comes and goes. I figure the more one feels joy, the better off they are in the long run. Or, is “too much of a good thing,” really just too much?
Tap on any photo for larger size
Removing frustrations enhances elation. Exploring the productive ways where fighting can illicit joy? Pillow Fight!!! For the fun of it. Ridding the self of negative energies. Replacing them with positive vibes. Culminating in the communal sharing of exhilaration and joy. Imagine, a place where no one seems to feel sad.
Every year in April, numerous groups of people around the world with shared aspirations of joy from pillow fights gather in celebration. Doling out heartfelt communal joy—not just for themselves, but for the people that are watching.
Deciphering these photographs could be that sure-fire way to enrich one’s life by generating movement of their bodies. Walk, run, skate, dance, bicycle, climb, even go to a music concert. Just move. With enough carefree movement, it’s easily possible to attain joy—maybe spark your own bliss. Imagine each of us rapt with joy every day through our lifetime. Remember that feeling
Joy, of course is celebrated during Christmastime, religiously and secularly. The secular celebration of gift-giving and time with family. With the advent of bar-crawling added to the secular celebration, we see additional facets of joy with drink as a propellant. I won’t go into the mind-altering remedies humans have come up with in exchanging sadness for joy.
Talking to one another has got to be one of the best ways to bring more joy to one’s life. Sharing, caring, listening, learning, supporting & supported. The confirmation of your existence by someone else can be astoundingly gratifying. “You like me! Right now, you like me!”— Sally Field’s Oscar acceptance speech, 1985.
A wonderful thing about the human condition are our perceptions. To perceive the genuine emotional response of someone you’ve never met. Without predisposition or bias, realizing true joy when you see it. Can you feel their genuinely felt joy? Soak it in and let it reverberate through your soul.
In closing, I take this time to offer a joy-filled challenge. If you’re able, spread joy to others in whatever way you can. Be a joyful warrior. You’re likely to feel joy in doing so. Oh what a feeling it’ll be!
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Til next time…
Cheers!
Another great series! Thanks for sharing the joy you found in photos and words.
These are great! I love the diversity of your photographs. We follow that same vein. It's contagious to share joy. Thank you Ken!