Be in Joy
by Leslie Sann
One joy shatters a hundred sorrows. ~ Chinese Proverb
I woke up out of a dream in the night to write something down that, at that moment, I thought was important and wanted to remember. In the morning I read the note. It said, “Enjoy it, even when it’s not fun.”
I know in the context of my dream the message was significant. Important enough to wake me up so I could record it. Yet in the morning I hadn’t a clue what I was attempting to tell myself.
So I decided to sit with what that might mean to me. Sitting in WOW — Wide Open Wonder — pondering the guidance, “Enjoy it, even when it’s not fun.”
What could that mean?
What came to me was that stepping into new experiences in my life isn’t always what I would call fun. I sometimes feel awkward, uncomfortable. I tend not to enjoy making the mistakes that come with trying new things. I continue to improve at embracing the imperfection, the not knowing that comes with learning, and all the experiences that accompany being a beginner. And when I argue with the process it’s even less fun.
But what if I enjoyed it, even if it’s not fun? What would that be like? Wow, that’s a powerful inquiry.
I could be a detective. I could enjoy noticing what is not working. Ah-ha — this is where I get off course. Wow, that’s amazing. Now I can DO something about it. Try something different. Experiment.
In this place of WOW – Wide Open Wonder I am enjoying the process of discovery. I really like being a detective and learning new things. I don’t have to argue with the experience – I don’t have to make this wrong — I can find the joy — be in joy. WOW that is transformative.
What does it mean to enjoy? It means to be in the experience of joy. Joy is not necessarily the absence of struggle, or adversity. Joy is the presence of my loving essence.
Be in Joy, even when it is not Fun, may be a suggestion to live in the essence of who I am in every moment, to experience the joy of my authenticity no matter what is going on.
Instead of pointing that finger out, and wondering how can I make something out there more fun, more to my liking, my dream self is suggesting I turn that finger to myself and ask how can I be in the joy of living this moment fully and completely?
Once again I discover the key to living a joyful, fulfilling life is taking responsibility for how I relate to what is going on. In this case the key is to turn inward and be in joy.A message from my dream self to you: “Enjoy it, even if it’s not fun.”
Blessings and Joy,