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Good
morning <$firstname$>,
The
other day I was sitting at one of our gorgeous beaches with
a friend when we saw a school of dolphins in the bay. Not
far away, they were swimming close to the surface, leaping
forward half way out of the water and heading towards an
unknown destination in their peculiar determined way, like
they often do.
One
thing was different this time, though : the leading dolphin
and a few others behind him in the group were jumping far
out of the water, straight up, doing summersaults backwards
and forwards in all sorts of twisted ways. It was absolutely
spectacular! Other people had noticed their unusual behaviour
as well and stopped whatever they were doing to watch.
I
always thought that dolphins collectively chase a shoal
of fish when they swim in a group close to the surface,
but they were clearly jumping for pure joy here! What's
more, this exuberant display of fun and happiness was contagious,
since more and more dolphins started to breach and all the
spectators had a big smile on their faces, too.
Dolphins
are well known for their playful behaviour, and this reminded
me that joy is an essential part of our life as human beings.
Most of us have buried it under layers of boredom, frustration
and responsibility, though - when have you last felt the
urge to jump for joy? I enjoy life most when I allow myself
to be free of all that, to hold on to nothing and to have
no restrictions.
I
am free when I look at the sea from my office window, when
I forget my own self-importance and the pressure to perform,
when I am no longer offended by the actions of others, nor
in need of their approval.
My
best creative work is done when I can be myself, often by
myself, not distracted from the source of human inspiration
and uninterrupted by daily chores or phonecalls. Freedom
and joy are inseparable - they are a state of mind, I think,
most easily found in children uninhibited by the burdens
of our competitive lifestyle, lost in play with no intent
to do harm.
If
we agree that feelings of hatred, violence and envy make
joy impossible, we have found a way to uncover it - yet
our culture does not always facilitate this notion.
"There
is no way to happiness, happiness is the way", Eykis
says in Wayne Dyer's book "Gifts from Eykis"
: allow yourself to be free of doubt, gloom, bitterness
and fear as often as you can, every day. This freedom will
allow joy to breach the surface and give you new ideas to
do more productive work, be a better husband, mother or
writer and help you pass it on to anyone who is ready to
accept it.
Happiness must be the default state of being for anything
that lives - the only thing that can prevent joy from ruling
our lives is the human mind interfering with it.
That
means that we don't have to create joy for ourselves, we
just have to allow it to happen - isn't it ironic that we
find that difficult to do? After all, I have never met anyone
who doesn't want to enjoy himself, and yet so few do - even
here in the careless Cape of Good Hope.
Where
else do we see more of the glorious guidance of nature around
us? Make up your mind to do something wonderfully joyous
at least once a day, whatever tickles your fancy : play
with your cat, eat a cookie, tell a joke - or do summersaults
like the dolphins.
Until
next time, all the best from :
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