Joy

It is Golden Week here in Japan, the time of year when people take a break from business as usual.

Instead, this week is reserved for leisure, relaxation and vacation.

Golden Week is a joyful time. So, I figured that would be the topic for this month.

Joy.

It is quite evident that I am surrounded by it. Although this society is known for a disciplined work ethic, it does so in a joyful manner.

Or so it seems to me.

I can recall passing through Tokyo Station, once. It was about 9pm on a Tuesday. I was exhausted after a full day of work.

The train was stopped and I was gazing out the window. Sitting next to me were a group of smartly-dressed professionals of some sort. They were chatting and laughing until one man got off the train.

Now, in my home society, in the United States, the natural thing to do when leaving a conversation is to exchange goodbyes and walk away.

But, not in this instance at Tokyo Station. The man did not walk away after departing his colleagues. Instead, he stood directly outside the window. Directly outside the window I was gazing from. A mere sheet of glass separating the two of us. Strange, I thought.

Then, he began waving at his colleagues, smiling with his eyes, and bowing out of respect for them. This lasted several minutes before the train took off again.

Really strange, I thought, until it all made sense.

This man probably worked all day, just like me. Yet, his energy did not show it. He was making a conscious effort to display joy before returning to his place of rest.

He was emptying all of his joy into the world.

I learned from this that, perhaps, joy is an action.

Joy is not something that manifests without effort. It is something that must be prioritized to exist. Something that takes practice to exist in oneself.

Let us work to enjoy more.

J.S