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Daily Question, August 18

How have I been surprised by joy?

  • Lunamagicae

    In times of sorrow and pain, when the unexpected, uncontrollable laughter arises to accompany the beaming smiles. It is a reminder that things will always get better and all is not lost.

  • hazelnut

    A heart felt genuine apology from a friend to my son and to me ….So long in coming, and so the Joy can feel like pain because of the tears of release in it’s fullness of relief. I’m rejoicing that people can change in their approaches and attitudes.

  • JoeytheHoff

    Sharing a smile has had a surprising effect on my state of mind and it seemed to open the hearts of strangers who became recipients and then participants in a shared smile. Warmth and gratitude became empathy and a genuine connection was made. In a world of transactual interactions the human connection that is available and so readily accepted is always a pleasant surprise to me.

  • Susan

    For a few days, my son-in-law's dog was not eating nor drinking. She required surgery and now, is resting and recovering. I was trying to prepare myself for the worse as I know how much this dear dog means to both my daughter and son-in-law. And I was heartbroken.

    But now, I am overjoyed that Maci, (the dog) will be healthy again. I rejoice in hearing the joy in my daughter's voice as she told me this morning that Maci's surgery was successful and all she needs is to rest and recover. My son...

    For a few days, my son-in-law’s dog was not eating nor drinking. She required surgery and now, is resting and recovering. I was trying to prepare myself for the worse as I know how much this dear dog means to both my daughter and son-in-law. And I was heartbroken.

    But now, I am overjoyed that Maci, (the dog) will be healthy again. I rejoice in hearing the joy in my daughter’s voice as she told me this morning that Maci’s surgery was successful and all she needs is to rest and recover. My son-in-law was able to take this week off from work to take care of Maci. That is a wonderful surprise by joy!

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  • Michael

    joy is fairly constant in my life. I feel daily blessed to have a vocation not a career, a family that even in turmoil or difficult times is a source of joy, that my outlook on life is positive

  • Hot Sauce

    I always enjoy the pleasant surprise of finding out when things are not as I think they are. For example, the Gospel of John is basically a Jewish mystical texts that has its roots in Greco-Roman mystery schools, as I learned in the Introduction to New Testament class, and Jesus' teachings in John's gospel are a path to an ongoing, continual process of enlightenment, similar to the ongoing flashes of insight in Zen Buddhism. Another example was learning that UFO abductions are a common experienc...

    I always enjoy the pleasant surprise of finding out when things are not as I think they are. For example, the Gospel of John is basically a Jewish mystical texts that has its roots in Greco-Roman mystery schools, as I learned in the Introduction to New Testament class, and Jesus’ teachings in John’s gospel are a path to an ongoing, continual process of enlightenment, similar to the ongoing flashes of insight in Zen Buddhism. Another example was learning that UFO abductions are a common experience, and the people who experience them are likely not crazy, nor are they naïve believers in hallucinations but, based on the shared similarity of experiences, may be accessing a higher realm of consciousness. Any surprising knowledge that opens me up to greater mystery is a joyful surprise.

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  • Loving_Kindness

    Just happened a few minutes ago. I made a stranger smile by making a small joke. Her smile lit me up. What amazes me is that that there can be so much joy in such a simple exchange.

  • Michael

    When our beagle nestled on a chair beside our teenage granddaughter, a portrait of love and calm that negates all I have seen on the news.

  • Deb

    How? For me, joy and gratitude are entwined cords that grow deeply within and superficially. I am aware of them to some degree all the time. So there is very little surprise.

  • Always Learning

    Something that surprises me its when I do not react like I have in the past. Releasing old opinions or judgements and looking at things in a new way spontaneously makes me joyous!
    I realize I am on the way to being happier naturally.

  • karmit

    Joy has often surprised me when I experience it because of small or simple things. I often forget to stop thinking that I can find lasting joy and happiness through an accomplishment of a goal or obtaining some material possession. Those pleasures are only momentary and fleeting. The joy of being is always there and only accessible when I choose to live and “en-joy” myself in the present moment

    • Patjos

      Yes, when we let go of trying to be joyful and just be, perhaps Joy loves to visit.

  • Ed Schulte

    How have I been surprised by joy?
    “Joy” is another name from the ‘Boundless Ocean of Spirit’ which is always available, just waiting for divers to explore and discover its depths …which are ( as some call it “paradoxical” ) within each diver.

    So I prefer to say ….”I wasn’t surprised by joy…..but rather… that the reaction was due to… “Joy’s surprise that I, discovered / re-discovered, it!.

  • Pilgrim

    This question recalled for me the book “Surprised by Joy,” written by C.S. Lewis. It fell into my hands early in my “adult faith journey”. It was a life-changing/informing read for me at the time on a lot of levels, and I’ve read it a few times since. I’d say that now joy is always a surprise to me, in the rare and always spontaneous occasion that I experience it.

    • Francine Marie Tolf

      Thank you, Pilgrim. I appreciated that book, too. I need to re-read it. Like you, I would have to say that I experience joy rarely and always with surprise. I feel gratitude and often deep contentment on a daily basis, but not joy. I am glad you admitted that!

    • Patjos

      Yes, I find so much simple happiness in so many wonders, but am still always surprised by Joy. Even when we are joyful, Joy can STILL come in and surprise us further still, don’t you think? She is a perfect guest!

  • Christina

    It's rare that I am surprised. Often, control is so important to me that perhaps I am not open to it. However, I feel joy a lot! Yesterday, for example, I spent the day in prayer, i.e. joyful gratitude in my heart for how my life is today as compared to the dark, dark earlier days.. Like Antoinette, I too was struck by the Tolle quote. It mirrors one today in one of my meditation books. I suspect it is only in stillness that I can hear God's voice. I'm still learning on this one! Funny, that "bo...

    It’s rare that I am surprised. Often, control is so important to me that perhaps I am not open to it. However, I feel joy a lot! Yesterday, for example, I spent the day in prayer, i.e. joyful gratitude in my heart for how my life is today as compared to the dark, dark earlier days.. Like Antoinette, I too was struck by the Tolle quote. It mirrors one today in one of my meditation books. I suspect it is only in stillness that I can hear God’s voice. I’m still learning on this one! Funny, that “bored” was not mentioned in literature until 1850–were people then simply too busy with the tasks of survival, or have our conveniences given us the “luxury” of being bored?
    Hoping the day is joyful for all who stop here!

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  • Kevin

    Personally, I look for joy, hope for joy and even count on joy to arrive here and there. So for me it’s fairly rare when joy surprises me. If anything, in today’s world and especially in my country’s current political climate, I find myself needing to seek joy out and be mindful of when I am in the mist of what is joyful and then to savor it.
    – Kevin

  • Antoinette

    Joy is connected to awareness.
    It is pleasantly surprising that all we have to do is be openly connected to love and truth to feel joy.
    I felt pure joy during meditation and I was surprised by how the depths of meditation can open up a whole new landscape of beauty which has helped me begin to understand wisdom.
    Like the quote of the day by Eckhart Tolle tells us:
    To meet everything and everyone through stillness instead of mental noise is the greatest gift you can offer to the universe...

    Joy is connected to awareness.
    It is pleasantly surprising that all we have to do is be openly connected to love and truth to feel joy.
    I felt pure joy during meditation and I was surprised by how the depths of meditation can open up a whole new landscape of beauty which has helped me begin to understand wisdom.
    Like the quote of the day by Eckhart Tolle tells us:
    To meet everything and everyone through stillness instead of mental noise is the greatest gift you can offer to the universe.

    We become the joy in our stillness and it’s truly a gift.
    What’s interesting also is how much the effect energy and magnetic energy works as an active process all around us.
    We may notice how people respond to things which literally suck them in towards products and or ideas to sell them joy. Only to find that these things in life create unhappiness or have a very short lived life experience of joy.
    The constant need for people to try and rush around finding entertainment of some sort to fill the void or have screens in front of themselves even brings more “noise”, as Eckhart calls it, into into our collective mind.
    I find it very interesting when I come in contact with people whether they be my relatives or my students for example, and they often say they are bored.
    Students in particular always say how boring something is.
    This use to make me almost jump into action to try and “fix” whatever was boring. I felt the need to fill the space with whatever I could to try to be the best at combating everyone’s boredom! My mind somehow felt a responsibility to serve whatever label I was wearing at the time, be it mom, professional teacher, coach, yoga instructor. You get the idea? We as a collective society always want more and want to be the best!
    Recently, I have slowed down using mindfulness and become more curious about things.
    Apparently, the word bored was not located in literature until 1850!
    So why would that be I wonder?
    When we look deeper into our cultural story we may find interesting answers.
    So now this brings us back to the quote of the day and the question of where we go from here to bring joy into our lives.
    We need to really do some deep reflection on what we truly value.
    Love is always the true answer and we find it in our hearts.

    Antoine de Saint-Exupery Said it best, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
    We offer a gift and service to the universe when we walk in the stillness of love and joy. We offer ourselves and others more space to praise beingness.

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