Joy Alerts-Personal Musings

I attended a zoom workshop on hope at Upaya with Johanna Macy on Sunday. It made me ponder the Buddhist 4 immeasurables: Loving Kindness, Compassion (being present to suffering), Shared Joy, (being present to joy) and Equanimity. I believe all are necessary to stay sane and effective in times of crisis. A current crises for me personally is a crisis of joy and hope. I have decided to send out Joy Alerts, and hopefully receive some, whenever I come across something that makes me feel joyful or hopeful (including both political joys and personal joys). Many of the posts on our blog are “Joy Alerts.” Perhaps we could tag them as such in the title. Highlighting them for me would help me intentionally let them fill my heart with the joy I need to be kind, compassionate, and balanced. For me, without all of these qualities, speaking out can become mean-spirited. It’s also easy to feel overwhelmed and useless making burnout inevitable. Human burnout is the last thing a world on fire needs! Perhaps some of you will become Shared Joy Buddies and find lots of ways to intentionally pass along the Joy Alerts 🥰 that bless your life. For me, it is not about avoiding the pain all around us (I’m definitely not suggesting all our posts highlight joy), but rather it is to build collective power and resilience to stand firm against injustice. It’s a way to be reminded of what I love and why I care. For me, hope is always active and grounded in reality–all of reality. Joy often seems ellusive these days. I am grateful for a safe space to share my thoughts. I am also grateful for this group. You all add to the joy in my life.