How can we find Joy?
Where do we look?
Can Joy be bought? If yes, where is it sold?
Is Joy in a lottery ticket? At a Broadway show? At the bottom of a Starbucks cup?
This week, just for fun, I went to visit a study group that I used to attend. I stopped by for a minute just to say hello. I’m not sure why, but I really got a kick out of it, and I’m glad I took the time to stop by. An acquaintance of mine commented, after I described my experience, “You must be very low maintenance if that’s what you do for fun!”
Maintenance issues aside, the point is valid. What do we do for fun? Or, how big of a jolt do we need to feel some stimulation? Does it need to be something big, like a concert, or a vacation? Does it need to be a trip, even to the beach? What if visiting a friend can be fun enough?
What if we can find happiness in small things?
What if we can find joy in closing our eyes and filling our lungs with air? What if we can truly enjoy the curious sensation of a keyboard beneath our fingers, the tiny burst of juice when our teeth puncture a grape, or the rush and rhythmic sounds of the subway?
Close your eyes for a minute and imagine being able to experience these little moments as pockets of joy.
Isn’t that something worth striving for?
How did you find joy in the little things today? Let us know in the comments below!
Shimmy Feintuch, LCSW CASAC-G maintains a private practice in Brooklyn, NY, and Washington Heights, NYC, with specialties in addictions and anxiety. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University. Contact: (530) 334-6882 or shimmyfeintuch@gmail.com.
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