Many times since the creation of www.artofjoy.gr (or rather, ‘Iris, the Art of Joy’), I have had to redefine who I am and how I define the word ‘happiness’. And this, because although I am generally an optimistic person, I do not always have the luminous aura you see in my blog photo: -) There have been and there are of course, still times when I get angry, I am sad, I am scared and get physically ill. However, the people around me and maybe more so, myself, had the ‘expectation’ that I should always be joyful … ‘Art Of Joy-style’!

One more thought related to the definition of ‘happiness’ … I am being asked more and more often: ‘how can I find out what my life purpose is, just like you’ve found yours’?

After many … many … years … I have discovered, that the answer to this billion euro (pound or dollar) question is in fact, incredibly simple!! So simple that at first, I didn’t want to accept it: ‘Just be yourself! Every moment! Can you? Can you stop caring less about what others will say or think about you’? Can you bear it? Can you bear to be your nasty self? … Your ridiculous self? … Your angry self? … Your grumpy self? … Can you bear to make silly spelling mistakes and not care? … Are you prepared to drop a few of the ‘balls’ you keep so proficiently in the air… Can you afford it?

See some beautiful examples of courageous self-expression by young people, in the vlog post ‘Simply being Me’ here.

One thing is for sure! You did not come here by accident and most certainly before you go off again, you will have already made a difference for at least one sentient being! And that will have been enough!

Wise Maya Angelou, is said to have once said: ‘Your legacy is every person you’ve touched …’

Now, is it a little easier to define what ‘happiness’ means? How about if we did a little survey?

If you wish, you can leave your comments in the comment box below this post, and place there your very own Wisdom in answering the question: ‘What is “happiness” for me’? Please do not dismiss this invitation to voice your opinion, because it may be that with your comment you can significantly help ‘illuminate’ the path to happiness for a fellow human being … If you don’t know how to place a comment, you can email me it, at iris@artofjoy.gr and I will gladly transfer below.

I bid you ‘goodbye’, with clothes full of paint and with sparkles in my eyes! – Alexia

Alexia Mary, (50). Recently wrote the book: ‘Speak Your Truth and Lead’. For details you can follow this link here: www.be-heart-led.com

Her motto is: «I will become the change I wish to see take place in my micro-cosmos», email: iris@artofjoy.gr

… the photo is authentic. It was taken at an altitude of 1000mtrs., above the little city of Lillehammer in Norway. January 2020.