Maybe Joy Finds You

[00:00:00] Foreign what's worthwhile healing Mind, body, and spirit. I'm Ramsey Zimmerman. I choose peace of mind, vitality of body, and joy of spirit over stress, exhaustion, or overwhelm. Together, let's explore and pursue the many ways to build holistic health and wellness. [00:00:31] Hey there. It's Ramsay here. I recorded a joint podcast, a swapcast, I guess it's called the Other Day with Jamie Bells from the Nutritional Therapy and Wellness podcast. We were talking about happiness and what it means to pursue it. She referenced the line from the movie Meet Joe Black where a father tells his daughter that he hopes she will find love that makes her feel deliriously happy. It's meant to be a grand, sweeping kind of wish, but when she said that, it didn't really land with me. Deliriously happy. Why would anyone want to be deliriously happy? That totally overwhelmed me. I get the intent, but I couldn't help thinking. I'm not even sure that sounds appealing. I mean, that kind of sounds exhausting. I told Jamie that while we prepped for the episode. I kind of felt bad because I think it threw her off of her original vibe. But talking it through definitely helped both of us clarify our thinking and help develop the episode. She's premiering that episode on her nutritional therapy and wellness podcast. So check it out there. You know, the more we talked, the more I realized how much our culture really feeds this mindset. We chase happiness. [00:01:44] We're taught to believe that the next thing, the next achievement is the next purchase, the next relationship, the next version of ourselves will finally unlock that state of bliss. [00:01:55] There is always a next, always something we are told, we lack. We hurry, we hustle, we strive. And we believe happiness will reward us at the end of all that chasing. But that is where I quietly step back from that pursuit. I'm not all that interested in chasing happiness. [00:02:15] Happiness is fleeting. [00:02:17] It's the glow of getting what you thought you wanted. It burns bright, and then it fades. It is wonderful, but it comes and goes. I don't want my life anchored to something that disappears as easily as it arrives. [00:02:31] Instead, I would rather seek something deeper, something quieter, something that does not demand to be chaste. I seek joy. Joy to me, is comfort. [00:02:42] It's steady. It is woven from the threads of love. [00:02:47] It does not depend on circumstances. [00:02:49] It is not conditional. Joy remains even when life is hard. [00:02:55] Joy is the whisper that reminds you you are still held, you are still loved. [00:03:02] I think Jamie gets that, too. [00:03:04] And don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with happiness. I love to laugh and goof around. [00:03:09] I love to celebrate good news. I'm grateful when life gives me something sweet. But I am learning that I don't want to build my life around chasing it. I would rather build my life around something I can trust. [00:03:22] Joy feels trustworthy. [00:03:25] Joy feels like home. [00:03:27] It shows up in the kindness of a friend, the warmth of sunlight. Especially that early morning sunlight which wakes you up that we talked about in our episode. Oh, spoiler alert. The quiet knowing that I am connected to others, to purpose, and to God. [00:03:43] So let me offer you this thought. Maybe you don't need to chase joy the way you chase happiness. [00:03:49] Maybe joy finds you. [00:03:52] Maybe joy finds you when you give up the exhausting chase and instead open yourself up to love. [00:03:58] Maybe it finds you in the stillness, in the presence of others, in the everyday acts of kindness and care. [00:04:06] Maybe it finds you when you stop striving and simply receive, when you are grateful of the good things and forgiving of the not so good. [00:04:15] Yeah, joy is way more boring than delirious happiness. [00:04:20] That works for me. [00:04:22] And for today, that is enough. [00:04:27] Where to go from here? Visit whatsworthwhile.net to learn more about me, Ramsey Zimmerman and please reach out to me and let me know what you think. I don't want this podcast to be some message in a bottle thrown out to sea. I want to hear back from you. Please send me a message or an email or hit me up on X, LinkedIn or Instagram. And please leave a rating and review for the what's Worthwhile podcast on Apple, Spotify, Iheart or Amazon. Than RA.