In Reality, Joy Is As Essential To Us As Breathing

The joy we truly need runs deeper than our conventional understanding—it's not merely emotional sunshine but rather the rich soil from which our resilience grows.

Me, with sunshine between alpine peaks | Captured by Maggie Leary's lens

Joy—what is this elusive treasure, and why does our spirit crave it so desperately? On life's sunlit surface, we glimpse joy in the crescendo of laughter echoing through concert halls, in the spontaneous dance of strangers becoming friends at midnight celebrations, in that first exhale as toes sink into vacation sand. We see it in raised glasses catching light across crowded rooms and in the surrender to pleasure that momentarily dissolves our boundaries.

These luminous moments deserve their place in our tapestry of happiness. They sparkle genuinely, like dewdrops catching morning sun. Yet to mistake these fleeting experiences for joy's entirety would be like calling the foam on waves the ocean itself.

Peer beneath the surface, and joy reveals itself as something far more profound—a vast underground river flowing beneath the landscape of our days. It isn't merely an event but a way of being, not just an emotion but a orientation toward existence itself. True joy permeates our being like oxygen in bloodstream, sustaining us through both breathtaking vistas and treacherous valleys of our human journey.

Joy is a grand tapestry woven with threads of inner peace, moments of profound stillness, and the rich textures of deep fulfillment. Picture it as a majestic oak tree—roots anchored in life's soil, branches stretching skyward through all seasons. During storms, it sways without breaking, embodying our capacity to find equilibrium when chaos swirls. It is the alchemist that transmutes grief into wisdom, the phoenix rising from setback's ashes, the sturdy rope that prevents us from being swept away in emotion's tumultuous currents.

True joy doesn't banish sadness to some forgotten corner; rather, it pulls up a chair and invites it to the table. Like a master painter who understands that shadows give depth to light, joy recognizes sadness as essential to our emotional landscape—not as an intruder but as a teacher whose lessons enrich our capacity for happiness. This is joy's magnificent paradox: it doesn't require the absence of other emotions but flourishes alongside them, a harmonious symphony rather than a solo performance, each feeling playing its crucial part in the music of being fully human.

Joy, at its essence, is a luminous tapestry woven from threads of compassion—both for yourself and for others. It's the art of becoming a beacon in your community, planting seeds of positive change that blossom into collective upliftment, and allowing your authentic smile to ripple outward like light across still waters. When sorrow or hardship knock at your door—as they inevitably will—joy becomes the gracious host who neither turns them away nor allows them to commandeer the entire household. Instead, joy acknowledges these visitors with gentle recognition: "Yes, you are here, and you have something to teach me. I will give you space without surrendering my entire home to your presence." The wisdom of joy lies in understanding that painful chapters aren't erasable from your story—they've been written in permanent ink—but they need not become the title of your entire autobiography.

Consider our emotions as we would our children—each deserving embrace, acceptance, and unconditional love. Pain, that uninvited guest, whether born from our choices or arriving unexpectedly on our doorstep, becomes our emotional offspring. Rather than orphaning these difficult feelings, joy teaches us to cradle them with compassion. It's the art of standing at the edge of absence—when friends vanish from your story or lovers exit your narrative—and feeling the hollow space they've left without falling into it. Joy whispers: feel the full weight of what's missing, but don't let absence become your entire identity. Your heart may bear the imprint of what's lost, but joy ensures it isn't your only defining feature.

Joy runs deeper than personal pleasure—it's the compassionate pulse that connects us to humanity's collective heartbeat. It lives in our empathy for social causes, in the moments we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers fighting injustice, in the quiet dignity of bearing witness to others' suffering. Joy flows through our hands as we extend them in service, whether planting community gardens in forgotten neighborhoods or simply holding space for a friend's unspoken pain.

Imagine joy as an intricate tapestry of beads—a sacred rosary of human experience. Those shimmering moments of conventional happiness—vacation sunsets, celebratory toasts, concert euphoria—they're merely single beads catching light. Beautiful, yes, but just individual elements in a far more elaborate creation. The complete strand winds through deeper territories: the quiet satisfaction of standing for truth when it costs you something, the sublime connection of supporting another through darkness, the revolutionary act of choosing compassion when bitterness seems easier.

In this grand constellation of joyful existence, entertainment and fleeting pleasures are just scattered stars in a vast galaxy of meaningful human connection. True joy manifests in countless profound constellations—some so subtle we might miss them without the practiced eye of gratitude, others so expansive they transform not just individuals but entire communities through their radiant presence.

Like oxygen to lungs, joy is not a luxury but our birthright—a necessity that nourishes our deepest being. This sublime state transcends the superficial realm of circumstance; it does not hang precariously on external validation or the emotional weather of others. Joy refuses to be a beggar at the table of others' happiness. Instead, it springs forth from the wellspring within—an alchemical process that begins in the sacred chambers of heart and mind. It is an inside job, a radical interior revolution. When your inner landscape blooms with authentic contentment and peace, this luminosity inevitably spills outward, transforming how you perceive and engage with the world beyond yourself—not as a mirror reflecting back only what you wish to see, but as a garden where you've planted the seeds of your own light.

True, the warm embrace of cherished friendships, the sturdy scaffold of family bonds, and the tender sanctuary of intimate relationships are magnificent treasures in life's vault. These human connections—like rare gems catching light—reflect brilliance into our days and create constellations of meaning in our personal galaxies. Yet joy, in its most profound manifestation, transcends even these precious connections. It includes the quiet artistry of dancing with solitude when it arrives uninvited, of extending compassion to your own wounded places when no one else witnesses your pain. Joy reveals itself as the gentle hand you place upon your own heart during storms of doubt, the soft voice that speaks kindness to your failures, the patient presence that sits beside your fears without trying to banish them. Perhaps joy's most revolutionary act is this: teaching us to become our own most faithful companions when the world grows silent around us.

Imagine joy as a resilient wildflower that thrives even when the garden around it transforms. When life's scaffolding—those precious connections to family, the warm circle of friendships, the security of financial stability, or the comfort of material possessions—suddenly shifts or temporarily vanishes, our capacity for joy doesn't necessarily follow suit. Like a phoenix's ember, it remains, waiting to be breathed into flame regardless of external circumstance.

This joy isn't tethered to favorable conditions; rather, it flows from within like an underground spring, continually nourishing our being even through seasons of drought. We cultivate it not as a response to good fortune but as an orientation toward existence itself—a way of moving through the world with open hands rather than clenched fists.

The joy we truly need runs deeper than our conventional understanding—it's not merely emotional sunshine but rather the rich soil from which our resilience grows. In lives textured with unexpected challenges, painted with strange pressures, and occasionally turned sideways by life's bewildering plot twists, this deeply rooted joy becomes not luxury but necessity—the invisible backbone that keeps us standing when winds of change threaten to topple our carefully constructed worlds.

Allow me to share a joyful video that might brighten your day. Six years ago, the rock 'n' roll duo "Les Deuxluxes" (Anna Frances Meyer and Étienne Barry) from Montréal, Québec visited the Yukon to perform. During their time in Whitehorse, we created a delightful live collaboration featuring their music and my dance. Enjoy!

In today's world, a symphony of challenges – global politics, corporate avarice, financial turbulence, armed conflicts, migration crises – plays a dissonant melody against our collective spirit. Yet joy must persist like a stubborn wildflower in concrete as a true healer and uplifter for those who need it most. Throughout the tapestry of human history, we've endured cataclysmic chapters: societies torn asunder, borders etched in blood, natural disasters that swallowed cities whole, hunger that hollowed generations, empires that crushed spirits, childhoods stolen by labor, and hatred manifested in countless forms of oppression.

Joy is the lantern we carry through history's darkest corridors, illuminating connection when division seems inevitable. Joy doesn't ignore suffering but transforms it into a profound appreciation for our shared humanity. It's the North Star of resilience – more expansive and more essential than our everyday consciousness typically comprehends. In this complicated dance of existence, may your steps be guided by joy's enduring light, in all its kaleidoscopic manifestations.

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If my words have sparked any thoughts or stirred your soul, I'd love to hear from you in the comments here.

~ Gurdeep 🪔❤️