"The healthiest response to life is joy." ~ Mark Twain

Joy is healthy. It's healing. Can we experience it every day?

Throughout any day, we're likely to experience a range of emotions, including sadness, anger, and frustration. 

I find it helpful to compare my range of emotions to notes in a melody and movements in a symphony. Somehow, when the sharps and flats of life are expressed in music, the result is beautiful, often healing.

For example, the beauty of violins "weeping" can transform my inner wailing into gratitude for life, even when life is painful.

Have you ever had something awful lead you to better see that life is awesome? 

Awe opens my heart to gratitude for the opportunity to be here, to be alive, simply to be. And that leads to joy. 

Let's allow today's symphony of our emotions play. Allow the movements to move along. Instead of getting stuck in an emotion, like a broken record, let it move on. 

Notice something you sincerely appreciate, however small your gratitude feels. Open to the joy that is right there, partnered with gratitude.

In this way we can respond to life with joy every day.

Keep in mind that sometimes our joy will be like a very soft piccolo playing a short song. And sometimes it will be large and loud playing like a carillon sending its sound miles away from its home in a bell tower. Let it play.

With love and compassion,
Charlene