I have been thinking lately that we are all in many ways conditioned as a society to confuse joy with idiocy. Expressing enjoyment of life’s simplest pleasures is far too often seen as simple mindedness. It seems to me that there is some sort of unspoken belief or understanding that being hopeful, happy, or positive is somehow a sign of weakness or at the very least an indication of naivety. People who show the audacity to remain lighthearted in the face of reality are all too often seen as simpletons and ridiculed as those who can’t possibly comprehend the severity of life.
I believe we are, whether intentionally or by misguided folly, brainwashed to see delight as a debilitation. We struggle so much of the time always wondering why life is so “hard”. We are bred to be fearful, judgmental, cynical consumers. Even those of us who recognize the imminent value in the expression of pure pleasure, tend to see it as childlike and immature, believing on some unconscious level that “grown-ups” aren’t meant to “enjoy” life. Life is a struggle, a battle, a hurdle to be overcome.
In the course of this contemplation I find my mind drawn to a teaching of Jesus Christ. Those who know me know I quote the bible neither lightly nor often. I respect each individual’s right to decide his or her own religious beliefs and would never wish to be seen or heard as one who adheres to or encourages a specific dogma. That having been said, I am finding remnants of long ago learned scriptures to hold infinite amounts of under-utilized truth…
“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” –Matthew 18:3.
There are infinite translations but the point is irrefutable. This statement resounds with the truth that we are to embrace our innocence, our joyful natures, our “childlike” instincts, to live, laugh, love with a pureness of being. Denying not our true nature as creatures who are capable of infinite compassion, appreciation, and pleasure.
We need to find the hidden strength in joy; the ultimate liberation of mind and spirit that lies just beyond our social/political stigmas. To recognize the power of hope, the immeasurable potential for transformation through simplicity and love is our greatest tool for current evolution. The time has come to value the depth of our human capacity. No longer can we strive merely for material satisfactions and edifices of competition, based upon the unstable misconceptions of might is right, and only the strong survive… We all have a responsibility to reevaluate our existence and to decide just what it means to be a receiver of the gift that is life; and to choose precisely what it is we wish to do with said gift.
This is the very tip of a profound understanding I am only just beginning to develop. I promise to further this concept for your consideration when I have developed a deeper comprehension. For now, let the idea resonate with you and see if it touches that place within you where truth is recognized.
-Love
