Welcome to #JoyReads

One of my true loves in life comes in the form of printed and bound sheets of paper containing the inked words poured from the minds and experiences of the author. As a former English teacher, reading and discussing books has become a must in my life, so book clubs become very important!

I am starting one here – for us. We will build and develop it along the way, but I cannot contain my love for books and their incredible content any longer. Please join me as I share with you this part of my soul.

The Book of Joy will start us off! Follow along to learn why this text has the gravitas to kick off this community. No – it’s not just that the title has the word JOY in it OR that it’s written by the curious combination of a Christian, a Buddhist, and a Jew OR that it tells the tales of two epic humans OR that I finally understood what joy truly is – or can be! Perhaps it is all of that, but it is certainly more than just that.

This text is not based on happiness – though much of the narrative is told through laughter and humor. It is not about suffering – though their tales are riddled with tragedy. It is truly about the joy they find and the joy they share along the way despite life’s encounters.

In this text, we read the revealed humor, insight, and faith held by his Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. They share their experience with suffering through exile and persecution, yet you can truly hear the laughter they create in their 7-day meeting to discuss joy.  What we find is that suffering is indeed inevitable, but our response to the suffering is up to us. We also see that the antidote to suffering is built on compassion and generosity.

I have now listened to this text and read it – both hold great value in the experience. Through this book, we are invited to a sacred space – not one that is held for the highest of esteem but one that exists for all of us. Joy is not a result of external or extenuating circumstances like happiness often does, but it is, as they call it, our birthright.

This book has become one of my top gifted books, and today I invite you to check it out!

Much Love, 

~M