Our life is, or should be, a struggle to become what we are “called to be .” A hopeful struggle for the best, which brings us joy. If one allows oneself to be defeated by the “horizontal” path, one has already lost… 

Hope  is  essential  to keep the soul from growing old. We need  dreams and concrete goals to strive for, and guiding lights to illuminate and direct our path. And this struggle to give our best makes life exciting, because we  never take anything for granted, nor consider things lost. 

When one strives  for noble ideals,  one values ​​things more, and as a result, is content and grateful.  Good deeds  enrich life and make us feel happy. Those  who think of others have something that attracts and inspires,  and we want to emulate them. 

Joy  is closely linked to  optimism and good humor,  and often stems from willing sacrifices for those we love. It’s not so much about having feelings of joy, but rather a habit, an attitude toward life. We can  cultivate it  in small ways, like smiling, seeing the good in a situation, being kind, discovering our talents, thinking of ways to brighten others’ days… In this way, each person becomes optimistic and joyful, by thinking of those around them.   

And so often that happiness is  the result  of a full, meaningful life, of trying  to acquire virtues  that help us become better people. For example, being attentive, kind, empathetic, helpful, generous, hardworking, loyal… and others that I’ll leave to your imagination.

Because true virtues are not sad, burdensome, old-fashioned, or arduous, but rather gently joyful… They are  “strength ,” which is what they mean, on our journey. And joy must be an integral part of that journey. It uplifts, allows us to see life in a positive light, gives energy, and bestows a radiant, attractive personality, capable of loving.

Each person needs that affection to be themselves and to grow.  It is essential for a person to love : that is what they were created for. And in that, they find happiness, as great humanists have pointed out. For example, in the words of Tomás Melendo,  happiness  is directly proportional to  each person’s capacity to love  , expressed through their actions. Thinking of loved ones is always motivating, joyful, and gives meaning to everything we do and experience.

Something that always helps is having a  transcendent view of life: it provides perspective , even amidst  difficulties, adding depth and vibrancy. The person transcends themselves, and there they find  meaning  and purpose. Because joy is something  profound  that reaches the depths of being, the very essence of the person, even when on the surface there are setbacks, suffering, and sometimes storms…

A wise person once said: every home,  every family,  should be a  haven of peace  where, despite adversity, a deep affection prevails, offering encouragement and security at any age. And it is from this broader, more nuanced perspective  that life ,  intertwined  with others, acquires a unique meaning.

Knowing how to see the good  in both people and circumstances  broadens the soul, facilitates personal relationships  , and uplifts us. It makes us good friends: loyal, understanding, and optimistic. This is especially important in  romantic relationships , the foundation of all other relationships.

We need an  optimistic attitude, a willingness to start and start again,  to turn the impossible into the possible, to give our best. And we must take this opportunity to  create a positive atmosphere: so that everyone feels loved,  in concentric circles, starting with those closest to them.   

An author comes to mind,  C.S. Lewis , and  his book,  “Belled by Joy , “ which I recommend. It recounts his life from childhood, with his brother Warnie, his search for beauty, and how, a little older, thanks to his friends, he finds that  indescribable joy that heals his heart  . And he is surprised and “dazzled” by it… just  as happened to G.K. Chesterton.  

She suffered greatly in her childhood: her parents died. Cancer and more cancer…

In this biographical book, he speaks of the  serenity  he felt from his mother’s family, who were more steadfast, peaceful, and deeply joyful. Happy. However, his father’s family was very different:  emotionally volatile , ranging from anger and resentment to tenderness… Highly emotional and unpredictable, not prone to happiness…

His mother died when he was nine, and all that serenity vanished. He also developed a certain distrust of his father’s emotions, with their less controllable swings. And his heart was wounded by so much pain.  He longed for his mother’s joyful and serene affection.  With her passing, stable happiness, quiet joy, and security disappeared from his life. Later, he would have  ” bursts ” of joy ,  as he called them, but not that former serenity that had sustained and gladdened him.

And she wondered: how could she find that joy again, feel  those bursts  of emotion once more? She tried to recreate those circumstances… but it was no use. She thought it would be better to look for the cause. She believed that joy would stem from something else, and that was what she had to find. She felt an insatiable longing within her   that wouldn’t leave her. Perhaps that’s where she would find it…

Later, in 1926, he met  J.R.R. Tolkien at Oxford,  and they became good friends. They encouraged each other in their literary endeavors. Within a few years, Lewis, an atheist in his youth, began to grow in faith, and eventually  converted  to Christianity, partly through discussions about  myths  with his friends.

From these thoughts he wrote ” Mere Christianity ” and his  “Chronicles of Narnia ,” while Tolkien was developing his legendary collection of moving stories. They would share and critique each other’s spectacular creative works within the literary group of friends known as  “The Inklings.”  And they would find solace from so much suffering, with something to drink around a fireplace…

Later, he met Helen Joy Gresham, a very sensitive and insightful American writer and poet who knew his work intimately, and they fell in love. She challenged everything he did, teaching him to rethink things  . And she helped him learn to  love: to open his heart to  others even if it meant suffering; to consider personal experience and feelings. In other words, to allow himself to be loved, despite the vulnerability it brought. They married in 1956… 

But soon the pain returns. I tell you about it in “Lands of Shadow.” However, despite the suffering, in the midst of it, until the very last moment they enjoyed being together,  closely united , and loving each other…

Life’s difficulties, which refine us, are also  ingredients of happiness.  Pain  points to love : the other side of the coin. It hurts because we love, but it always compensates and heals.

And  good humor , the complement to joy, helps us not to take ourselves too seriously, to defuse difficult situations,  to soften blows,  or to offer comfort with a joke. A little humility helps us to  be simple, to love,  and to enjoy life.

 The great Viktor Frankl said : “The moment the  patient laughs ,  even if only internally, he has won the game. Because that laughter, like all sense of humor, creates distance, it makes him  distance himself from his neurosis.”

Nothing is ever truly lost… You can always find peace and joy in your heart again. Never  give up!  There is always hope.