O Be Joyful

Years ago, I spent several summers solo camping in Colorado’s high country. The destination? A high altitude campsite in a valley called “O Be Joyful.” For a few short days, the circle of mountain peaks and pine scented air was my universe. To me, everything about it was joyful. rnToday, with the global finance, housing and business marketplaces spinning seemingly out of control, it takes the discipline of a focused mind to remember that there is a place where one can retreat and breathe the pure air of joyfulness. Now I find it by going inside. The breath offers a pathway to this inner paradise. rnSitting in silence, we can remind ourselves that the crash of economies around the world, loss of jobs, and jarring disconnection from old patterns, carries a flip side. A good side. rnThe global crash puts the breaks on U.S. consumption patterns and China’s plans to build one coal fired plant a week. It marks a distinct shift from consumption to conservation. It pushes back the perils of climate change one degree, and gives us space to plan anew. rnWhile news pundits stir the mud of yesterday’s misery and today’s breaking news, we now have a chance to streamline our lives. Pack our bags a little lighter for the long road ahead. Some might call it sustainability. I call it “right living.” Living with all of life in mind, not just humans. rnIn those earlier days in the high country, there were no other humans. I was surrounded by scenery that hadn’t changed for hundreds of years. The ecology of the commerce among fir, pine and spruce trees, the wild grasses, and the occasional elk, deer and grouse was such that all lived well. rnNow we have the chance to do the same, with a prayer for these times: May all live well. rnActuarial charts now tell us that a man of 56 will live to be 104. A teenager might live to 129. Each action we take shapes our future. Each clear vision of sustainability and community takes us one step closer to the life we want to live. rnAt this time of breakdown, we are discovering personal breakthroughs. Freed from the limitations of the past, guided by breath alone, we can be joyful. rnIt is our destiny to be happy. It’s our choice to decide what happiness means for us, then take action to make it happen. rnIf you’re willing to share, I’d love to hear what makes YOU happy.