The Journey

No matter if you live to be an example of how old a human can be; let's face it, our time on earth is short.  For those that believe in reincarnation, there are additional chances to get it right.  For those who believe you just get one shot - we have to make it the best we can.

Please, if you are reading this, take the time to figure out what brings you joy.  Joy is personal.  Each of us finds it where we find it.   But joy is necessary.

When you find that which brings you joy, celebrate and cherish it.   Nurture it.  Life is hard and things will happen that steal your joy.  Death of a loved one, illness, tragedy in the world, can all steal your joy.   Commit to taking it back when it is stolen.

There are small daily enemies of joy that we all have to guard against.   Anger, hatred, bitterness, disillusionment can all work to steal your joy.  Be vigilant in your defense of your joy.

Meeting anger, or hatred, or bitterness or disillusionment with hope and peace is difficult.  But you can learn to do it.

Because you only get one life.  And it happens moment by moment.  And each moment you spend in misery, or anger, or hatred, or bitterness is a moment of joy you have missed.

Much of your time will have to be invested in earning the resources to have a life.   If you can't find work that brings you joy, find a way to bring joy to the people you work with.

When you are making an effort to make others happy, to help others find their joy, you will magically begin to feel better.

There will always be voices in the world that promote hate, that promote discord, that promote anger.   You to not have to listen to those voices.   When possible, refute the voices calmly, with conviction and compassion, but walk away from them if they refuse to see light and joy in the world.

When you allow yourself to get sucked into the maelstrom of their discontent, you sacrifice your joy.  If your joyful nature and observations cannot pull them up, ask your higher power or karma to help them, move away from them, and keep your joy secure.

Nothing gets better by talking about how bad it is.  Things get better when people work towards making a better world.

The energy source for positive change is your joy.  Feed your joy.  Guard it carefully.   Allow that at times, significant events will steal your joy.   Know in advance your strategy for stealing it back.

Take the energy your joy gives you and brighten the world.  Be it through service, or humor, or uplifting words; brighten the world.

Find a way to view everything you do as working towards a larger purpose.   Every smile, every kind word, every kind act makes the world a better place.

By finding your joy, and keeping it healthy, you can be and will be the force needed to make the world better.

And then, when you come to the end of your personal journey on the planet, you can look back at your joy-filled life, and the joy you brought to others, and know it was a journey well spent.