What is joy, really?

I was wondering about what I should write for you today. I decided to let my pen move freely on the page in order to get into a state of flow, and the idea for this essay bubbled up quickly: What is joy?

What does joy mean to you? I used to think joy was an explosion of unbridled blissful feelings. That does not happen very frequently for me! I thought I was joy-deficient. Instead, I was defining joy incorrectly (for me). I've since realized that joy can be quieter than that, and sometimes easily accessible. (By the way, the dictionary definition is "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness").

I have decided that for me, joy can be as varied as a feeling of contentment, laughter, or a sense of calm and connection. What is joy for you? And how do you access it?

For me, joy can be accessed by:
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- moving my body in the way it wants, sometimes to music
- being with people I care about without expectation
- sitting on the earth and feeling connected to nature
- sipping a cup of hot tea on a chilly day, and really noticing how good it feels going down
- watching a documentary about nature or animals

If being joyful has seemed out of reach or puzzling to you, you might want to redefine it for yourself. 
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By the way, moving pen on paper freely in response to a question is a fantastic way to receive deep insights. I use this type of exercise, which I call "intuitive drawing", in every meditation circle, and in some of my coaching/counseling sessions