What gives you joy?

Many things bring me joy. my daughter once told me, “dad, you know what makes me happy? when i open the pantry doors in the kitchen and find it filled with all kinds of food”. i will never forget her remarks. it does not take much to make some people feel joy in their life.

For me, it’s Christmas morning and Christmas Day. not only is it a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but it’s a time when there seems to be a hush all over the world. sometimes, it’s so quiet that its frightening. the police calls are really low and everyone seems to make this a day of timeout in the crime department. i wish everyday could be like Christmas Day.

This is what gives me joy.

@Hawaii_Jake, thank you for asking this question! I have seen so many negative topics such as questions about the US political situation. I needed to see one such as this with a more peaceful focus. Thank you! :o)

Occasionally while praying, I will thank God for each good thing in my life. As I go along, the realization of how long the list is can produce a wonderful feeling of joy. Doesn’t happen every time, but when my heart is in it, it can be overwhelming.

I don’t know if I’ve ever been joyful, but I guess the closest thing to joy for me are boobs.

The laughter of a child, any baby animal, the view of water or mountains, and AC~DC Live cranking on the cd player.

Nature.

Old dogs, little children, and watermelon wine! : D

Appreciating things for what they are. I find that brings me joy.

Springtime brings me joy, when everything is waking up again, the air is so very fresh and the sun begins to warm everything up.
Oh and my dogs of course

Music. Ocean waves. Fields of flowers. Watching children playing. Being sincerely hugged.

@CaptainHarley watermelon wine ARE YOU FOR REAL? where can i buy some?!?!?!?!?!

what gives me joy: monkeys, cute babies laughing, love, hugs, nature, not wearing shoes.

Nature for sure.

I love the river, hills and vineyards of my rural foothill community. Horses everywhere, the wildlife.

Sitting in my hot tub under the stars in my secluded home surrounded by my giant jungle grasses and bamboos, and the cool shadows they cast at night.

Running and flapping my ‘wings’ with the geese up to my grassy front yard on a hill.

Taking them for a walk down to the creek below my deck.

Silence.

Good conversations with friends.

My daughter, she is such a fun friend now at 23, and I am so happy for our relationship.

The joy of living in a safe and peaceful environment, never having to lock my doors, car, garage.

Coming home to my comfy little home.

Driving around aimlessly makes me happy.

What I observe from my own experience is that joy happens whenever my sense of separation dims or disappears. I don’t think of joy as being the same thing as pleasure, or even necessarily happiness. It’s more an experience of merging and intimacy. Union, I guess.

There’s joy, for instance, in compassion, even when it means completely feeling another’s sorrow as your own. It’s still an excursion out of that miserable little prison of self-concern.

In this sense, joy doesn’t have to be something that is gifted to us by circumstance; it can be a learned skill. Stepping out of self-concern and merging with what’s right there isn’t always easy. That sense of separation can be very strong. But it gets easier with practice.

@ducky_dnl

Yes! Me too, I love to drive around and aimlessy explore.

My kids, my partner.

My hubby (most of the time :P), my daughters, an excellent book, a movie that I’ve been waiting to see, and quite a few other things.

My kids, seeing new places and things, sometimes just being alive.

Hiking in the mountains and desert.

Photographing amazing landscapes.

Rubbing dog and cat tummies.

Hearing babies laugh and coo.

Xmas music.

Really good wood fired mushroom pizza.

Ice skating.

Seeing snow in an alpine setting.

Listening to dogs and cats snoring while they’re snoozing.

Tasting a really good cheese for the first time.

Cooking when I want to, but don’t have to.

Lakes.

Listening to certain music.

The scents of pine trees, cedar planks, gingerbread, grapefruit and garlic bread (not necessarily together).

Little kids cute feet.

Dog and kitty toe pads.

The sound of a gurgling brook.

Fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce.

Finding some really cool vintage object at the thrift store that your parents once owned, but you thought you’d never see again. Like this

@deni

LOL! That’s from an old song by the same name. : ))

Smiling at a little kid and getting a smile back turns my day around instantly. No matter how terrible my day is, if I see a little kid while I’m at Walmart, I’ll smile at them, and getting a smile back makes me feel amazing.

Good health.

what makes me happy: WHEN i’m walking home from school and i go past the park. AT THIS TIME OF DAY the sun shines a very dreamy golden colour. . . and then there’s the slight breeze to go with it. I always feel like jumping up and down with glee at this moment.its just so beautiful. I feel really good inside, like my hearts all swelled up ( in a good way).

@queenie

Oooh yes! That magical golden sunset light….

Thinking about how lucky I am.

@YARNLADY

Yes. Beautiful afternoon we are having isn;t it?

I have the hose running and the geese are splashing in their overflowing pools, having a Corona, making Spaghetti sauce, laughing with my daughter a bit ago. Life IS good! ;-)

lying in bed hearing the crickets and maybe some frogs with some rain
the purring of a cat
feeling spiritually connected
money in my bank account
good music
live music
sunset over the ocean
snow on cedar trees
wind in my curls on the way to the beach
playing in the ocean
lying on the beach with the sun kissing my skin
leaves blowing in the wind on a fall day
my nieces and nephews laughter
a good genuine hug
great chinese, japanese, or korean food
a friend when I need one
knowing how blessed how I am

The sounds of wind through branches, the smell of home cooking, the general feel of my family gathered at my parents house, usually with my four year old nephew running around like a maniac or playing computer games, or curling up for a cheesy movie with my partner.

Being warm.

Blue skies and sunshine.

Beautiful scenery.

When my husband is overly pleased with me regarding something I did, or even when I did nothing.

Being with my closest girlfriends.

Going back to my college campus. So pretty.

Being at a weight I like.

When my hair starts growing in after falling out a lot.

Seeing wild animals in the wild, as long as I feel safe.

Dancing.

Absense of pain.

Travelling to new places.

Swimming.

The ride Soarin’ at Disney World.