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Oh my gosh, so very many things. Where do I start? My daughter brings me tremendous joy, so does spending time with family and friends. Then there are dolphins, diving, dancing, dawn and dusk, dessert, doctoral thesis writing, down time curled up reading a book. Just thinking of all the people and passions that bring me joy elicits the joyous feeling. It also makes me feel very grateful, which then reinforces the nice, happy feelings again. Thinking about joyful things quickly improves one’s mood, especially during difficult and stressful times.

Happiness. Joy. What’s the difference? I’m not quite sure but as I think about what brings me joy, I am starting to realise that what brings me joy doesn’t always make me happy. I know, that sounds weird but hear me out as I think ‘out loud’.

It’s undeniable that my daughter brings me so much joy, but it’s not always easy and there is a lot of sacrifice and struggle in there too. There was of course the physical pain that was part of giving birth to her, but meeting her in the outside world, having her in my arms, made all the pain worth every second. Being lucky enough to have this special time in my life as a Ph.D. candidate brings me joy, but there is struggle that comes with it as well. It’s not just the financial sacrifice, there’s a significant amount of time commitment as well, now even more so as I am trying to balance my studies while also being a working solo parent. Now dolphins, I love dolphins. I love ocean life in general, and the marine environment brings me much joy. Again, this passion also comes with its own struggles like advocating for conservation and similar things. Still, the joy that the passion brings, makes it all worth it. I guess what’s slowly starting to become clear, at least to me, is that joy is more than a feeling, it’s a much deeper emotion and state. Oddly enough, joy can also exist in the midst of suffering. Maybe joy also has many other components to it, like gratitude, patience, humility, connection, grace, and love.