"Cherish" and November Marsh

This photograph simply makes me happy. I picture a sunny day in nature which leads to a happy dance, Cherish, by Madonna. I feel that I can see the actual movement in the photograph.

It reminds me that joy exists everywhere and it is up to us to find it. Sometimes joy permeates everything. At other times, we are called to look for it. Since we live on Earth, our experience of life includes fear, anxiety, and sadness. When we are sad, it is important to allow those feelings to be expressed. That is the kindest and most loving way to treat ourselves. In fact, the more we can be honest with ourselves and be open to negative thoughts, the faster we can move through them. Still, our true nature is love and all things that come from love: light, joy, kindness, gratitude.

On a cloudy day we can choose to remember that behind the clouds and grayness, there are blue skies and brilliant sun. We are joyous beings, no matter what is making us sad or fearful in the moment. That sunny day behind the clouds is much like our spirit, which is always whole and complete.

When you look for joy, know that joy is also looking for you.

 “Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.”  -- Rumi

“Get yourself out of the way and let joy have more space” -- Rumi