“There is no need to reach high for the stars. They are already within you. Just reach deep into yourself!” ~Unknown
I spent years searching for joy. For a long time, I thought that if I did the same things I saw in movies and on TV, I’d become a joyful person.
I also learned from my environment that I’d be happy when I acquired enough material abundance.
I got the toys I wanted and waited for joy to happen. I hoped that a new bicycle, new skis, a new TV in my room, and brand new Nikes would give me all the happiness I craved.
But they didn’t. Well, they did, but it didn’t last for long. I felt joy for a while—or at least I thought I felt it.
Then I wanted a car and I got it. Again I crashed. It was great driving it for a few weeks, but then I got used to it.
Next, I thought I’d feel free and independent if I had a new apartment—when I got that, I’d enjoy life. That lasted for a month or two, and then I got used to that. I can go on, but I think you got the point.
I was always pursuing joyfulness, but never actually feeling it for long. What was I doing wrong?
I was walking the paths that were supposed to lead to joy, right?
Then something occurred to me: What if I’m already on the joy way, and wherever I go, it leads me through joy—joyful cities, joyful adventures, and joyful challenges?
At that point, I started simplifying my life.
I stopped putting as much emphasis on how much I earned, what kind of vacations I took, and what I could buy. Instead, I found joy in reading books, being in nature, and spending time with great friends.
It felt strange at first, but trying this new approach turned out to be a smart choice. If I compare my life now and a few years back, it’s obvious I’m far happier now.
The core principle for me is that joyfulness is always available, regardless of my circumstances.
I don’t go and reach for the joy. I don’t hunt the joy. I don’t pursue the joy. I simply embrace it.
Joyfulness is a lot like air. The air is always there. You just have to breathe it in.
I once read a story about an old man. A youth asked him what his secret was for living to ninety. He responded, “Keep breathing!” The same is true for happiness; in some ways, it’s so simple!
So often we don’t pay attention to the existence of air, or our breath, but it’s always there, sustaining us.
Sometimes I go under water and, after a few seconds, I need to come up for a breath. When I breathe, it feels amazing. It makes me realize I should pay more attention to each breath. It means that I’m alive, still part of the game of life.
Joyfulness is the key to playing this game. And we don’t have to strive to acquire it. We just need to tune into the joy that’s always available, because it’s everywhere.
How do you access it? Watch the simple everyday things you might not usually notice. Start by listening to the sounds of birds, watching the rain, or observing tree branches dancing in the wind.
You could even spend some time people watching, or giving attention to the animals around you.
You might be in a painful stage right now, and watching people or the rain falling may seem like unhelpful, overly simplified advice.
Start then by asking yourself some empowering questions—like, “What can I learn from this experience?” Or, “What’s good in this situation?” Or, if you are more spiritually oriented, “How can these divine signals help with my spiritual growth?”
Above all, get out of your head and observe the world with your heart. When you connect with your natural state and find passion in the simple things, you will experience a joy that you don’t have to chase or pursue. It will be part of you—always available, if you choose to embrace it.
Photo by Benson Kua

About Mat Veni
Mat Veni lives in Europe and is a lifetime student of personal growth. He loves to build fun and to share it. You can find him and his blogging on www.maatihapi.com.
simple but effective…
Wow, Matt, have you even taken a Nia class? I teach Nia – a mind-body movement practice – and your sentiments on joy completely resonate with Nia. The first principle of Nia is the Joy of Movement. It’s so important to really connecting with our bodies in any given moment, that we actually capitalize it – the Joy! Nia also emphasizes that Joy is always available, and so then connecting to Joy is a choice. That’s really what conscious living is all about: moment-to-moment choices. I’m so glad I chose to read your post. Totally enJoyed it!
Julianne
Julianne, I think we are experiencing the only truth. It’s not easy if surrounding with our civilization (material abundance).Buy a new car, buy a new pair of shoes and enjoy it… yes, but for how long? This price is giant if we consider to work for a new car for years in a job we don’t even like it.
So, how much pleasure do we get (driving a new car) and how much pain (in all these years of frustrating job)?
For years I was trying to fill that bottomless bucket with things. It’s been a difficult habit to break, and at times one that I often find myself almost getting caught-up in again.
I find the more stronger a connection with the present moment and appreciating what happening “right now” the easier it is for joy to surface.
Thanks for your post and helping me to keep focused on what’s important and what will bring and keep joy in my life.
ROCK ON!
J
We are all learning and discovering 🙂 Nice hearing that you prefer present moment. It’s what Eckhart Tolle teaches in a great mode.
Stay connected 🙂
My blog is called Chasing Joy. What I mean by Chasing is not running after it in any materialistic way. It is very similar to what you describe above. The idea of making an effort to look for Joy in every situaton and to try new thgings that you may never have considered, and to have better relationships with others. I like to say I’m Chasing as I am reffering to the effort to have Joy be my focus.
Great read! 🙂
FANTASTIC!!! I love this line…”Joyfulness is a lot like air. The air is always there. You just have to breathe it in.” …Beautiful and really resonated with me…I love analogies to help it “click”…thanks for your wisdom! 🙂
Wow, that’s great. Thanks for sharing about “Connect with
Joy Instead of Searching for Joy.” Great article with excellent idea! I appreciate your post.
Thanks so much and let keep on sharing your stuffs.
THX.
You have a nice page and share steps I prefer.
Great to hear that.
It’s so fantastic to resonate with positive thoughts. That’s why we keep reading Tiny Buddha’s blog 🙂
I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15 vs 10-11
There is no joy that is complete outside of God, the creator of joy. There is temporal happiness, but nothing lasting. We mess up time and time again. We cannot reach inside and pull out true joy and peace, because we are human, and it only comes from God. The emptiness that returns that can only be filled by our Creator and Sustainer. We were designed to have a void that can only be filled by Him. I turn to God for my joy! I recognize that there is nothing but failure when I look inside myself, because I fall time and time again. I can get back up, but unless I look to Christ to direct my steps, I will continue to have insecurities, fractured relationships and pain, even if I am stopping to “smell the roses.”
I have learned that by loving others the way He has loved me, by putting others first, by ministering to the needs of others, THAT is true joy.
Matt,
Phenomenal blog post man! I really like how you mentioned that joyfullness is always available because it truly is if you’re willing to embrace it.
I’ve recently started doing research on the effects of Gratitude since I’ve started working for this new company and in doing so, found that keeping a gratitude journal has helped me realize much to be joyful for (on a daily basis).
Anyway, I really appreciate the post and look forward to checking out your personal blog. I’m always looking to continue to grow as a human, so thanks!
If you do get a second though, I’m really interested to see your thoughts on http://www.thankaday.com (the company I work for) as they’re trying to accomplish some big goals in personal development and it’s always informative to hear from a pro like yourself.
Loved the line,’It means I m alive,still part of the game of life’.
AMAZING!!!
So true. Everything we want + need we already have + are.