To My Magnificent Agents, Staff and Friends:
During the two week sojourn from which my wife and I have just returned, I must confess that I did not engage in a significant amount of profound thinking. We did see and experience much beauty and wonder. We met many interesting and gracious people. We ate fantastic food. We did relax. Beyond our visit to Ground Zero in New York City, we did not dwell on anything profound. For us, this was a trip that centered primarily on relaxation with, and enjoyment of being with each other. To that end, it was more than just fun. It was quite joyful.
Upon our return, the most common question posed by friends and family was “Did you have fun?” We certainly did. But, as that same question was repeatedly asked, in my mind, the seeds of this week’s topic began forming.
Fun is defined as a source of enjoyment, amusement, or diversion. Joy, on the other hand, is much deeper and more profound. It describes when one attains a state of intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness.
With that in mind, as I noted, we had much fun on our vacation, but there was also great joy associated with spending two weeks in companionship with my lovely wife. But that does not mean that fun and joy are synonymous. Too many in our society seem to fall into the trap that they are. The fact is, fun and joy are quite different. Both are sources of happiness, but the happiness derived from fun is fleeting and momentary. If you seek happiness that is enduring, joy is where you will find it.
Undoubtedly it was fun seeing a hit Broadway show, watching the fall leaves change, eating a lobster loaf on a New England wharf or dining at a five star New York City restaurant. Much more profound, however, was the joy derived from sharing each of these experiences with someone you love and who has shared the majority of your life with you. That is where true and enduring joy emanates.
This past Sunday, as I was catching up on our local news, I read an article in our local paper that noted a comment made by the first-year UL-Lafayette Ragin Cajun coach Mark Hudspeth to his team after their fifth win this past Saturday. After being pegged by the sports prognosticators to only win one game this season and finish in the cellar in their conference, the Cajuns are now leading their conference and are one win away from being bowl eligible. Coach “Hud” told his players that what they were experiencing right now was “fun.” After the months of grueling practice and the frustration of being a member of a perennial losing team, they are now finding that playing each week was “fun.” However, that was only the first level. “Next,” he said, “will come the joy. Once you’ve set a goal and committed to it, once you have dedicated yourself to a cause, a person or a team and then accomplish it, you will experience the next level, joy, and that joy will remain with you throughout your lifetime.”
Fun is experienced in moments of our lives. Joy is what wraps the totality of our life experience in significance. Is there a formula for attaining and maintaining a joy? Even though each of us is the author of our own unique book of life, there are common attributes that can lead us to joy on earth and beyond. Here’s a good roadmap authored by John O’Donahoe:
May the frames of your belonging be large enough for the dreams of your soul.
May you arise each day with a voice of blessing whispering in your heart …something good is going to happen to you.
May you find harmony between your soul and your life.
May the mansion of your soul never become a haunted place.
May you know the eternal longing that lies at the heart of time.
May there be kindness in your gaze when you look within.
May you never place walls between the light and yourself.
May you be set free from the prisons of guilt, fear, disappointment and despair.
May you allow the wild beauty of the invisible world to gather you,
mind you, and embrace you in belonging.
Stephanie and I will endeavor to keep mindful of these words, even as we plan our next vacation!
Have an AWE-full weekend!
Bill