The Presence of Joy
One inaccurate measurement of success that society has pushed on humans is that owning a house means you are successful and happy. Society’s preached about the need to be hardworking so people can save and save to buy a house to live in. Nowadays, people are quickly judged by their financial worth and even the amount of materials they own; knowing that bigger and more always means better. I’ve been shown that success refers to the materials you own, not how you feel on the inside. It is almost as if people are taught to forget about being happy just so they can focus on their materialistic wealth. One thing society hasn’t understood is that there is a difference between owning a house and having a home. Owning a house refers to the ownership over the materials in which the house is made of; taking a more materialistic approach. A home is much more than that material mindset; referring to the memories and emotions attached with a specific space. A home is a happy place for you; where you feel comfort, at peace, and particularly joyful. The presence of joy is the biggest difference between a house and a home.
Joy is the most important thing a person can have in their life. When people are joyful living in their houses, places become their homes. I notice that where I live, I feel a lot of joy. And I realize that if I wasn’t joyful at my house, I wouldn’t feel like it is my home. It is important to notice that people’s house’s vary in all sorts of ways; but as long as the occupants are joyful and enjoy where they live, that is their home. It doesn’t matter if you live in the snowy plains of Alaska, the tiny apartments of New York City, or the mansions of coastal California because people’s homes look different. Not everyone will enjoy a mansion, a tiny apartment, or a house free from many of the effects of society, but that’s the point of a home. Each home is unique to a particular person. As long as the occupants are joyful and feel like they are fulfilled then that is their home. I feel at home in my house because I know that I am comfortable and happy within the walls of my house. I feel that it is a safe place where I can be happy and be myself. Joy should be a priority when living somewhere because people want to be able to enjoy their lives. Life is simply too short to take it for granted. Why waste your life somewhere where you don’t feel joyful? It is important to have the presence of Joy in people’s homes; because that makes people’s lives better.