INSPIRING WISDOM

Joy

We were born to be joyous. Joy is the language which all creation speaks; it is the voice of God vibrating through the world. When man's heart is filled with joy, he is at his highest state of being. He is then capable of his best achievements. His keenest powers take over the reins of direction. His discernment and discretion rise above their ordinary level; thoughts multiply and flow in with ease and depth; vision expands, and his finer sensitivities make their way to the fare. When the mind is joyous, the entire being is lifted to a higher state; both mind and body are strengthened and invigorated. A joyful state is a divine state. Nature itself vibrates with divine joy... Man who is an integral part of this world was also called into existence to feel and express this divine joy. When a man's spirit is filled with joy, he experiences and radiates fullness of life.

Remember that joy is not to be identified with pleasure; it is not the arbitrary stimulus or temporary pacification of our desires. Our joy is not a transient phenomenon, but an integral power of our being...When the mind is in a mirthful state, the stream of thought energy flows with greater power... In a state of merriness, the mind of the individual unfolds its maximum possibilities. By expressing joy, we not only benefit ourselves, but we also benefit others. With a smiling spirit the burdens of life are lightened, the difficulties in our way are smoothed out, stressful experiences leave no injury behind them. A good laugh snatches a man from his troubles and reminds him of what he should be -- a happy being.

Since man's joy is the greatest of all his possessions, it is necessary to guard it more jealously than he does all of his possessions... The Divine Mind has endowed man with the power for joy, but man must guard it and nurture it. Do not permit your spirit to fall, for then your greatest fortune is lost. Relax daily and repeat slowly in your mind:"The Divine Mind within me is supplying me with an abundance of joy". Man's natural state is a joyous one; it is only when he begins to block the expression of his natural self with worry and grief and anxiety, that the power of joy within him retreats and ceases to act.

Joy is a treasure that no-one can take away from us. There are always those looking for our fortune, there are always some who are seeking to pull us down from the pedestal of our attainments, but noone can take away our joy... It is ours, it is part of our being... Be joyous and your difficulties will diminish in size; be joyous and you ward off illness; be joyous and your fears will lose their hold, and your worries will lose their canker; be joyous and sorrow will not crush you and suffering will not approach you; be joyous and the years will roll smoothly and peacefully by, leaving no painful marring gashes; be joyous, and you remain young all the days of your life...