Pleasure. It’s something we all want. But due to its very nature, it’s not something we can hold on to. We experience it, but then it’s over. And soon we need to find a way to trigger it again. This desire is normal. We’re all wired to crave pleasure. The question is, what do when that desire is not being met?
Of course, we can seek out other things that can satisfy this inner craving. But we also have to be careful. Not all things that bring pleasure are created equal. In fact, some things that might be pleasurable in the short-term could end up being harmful in the long-term. And so if we’re not careful, pleasure in the present may actually end up causing pain in the future.
Which is why cultivating joy is important. Since it’s not determined by what happens to us, we can experience joy regardless of whether the things around us are pleasurable or not. And unlike some things that create pleasure, we don’t have to worry about the potentially harmful effects of joy.
In the midst of barren times, joy can lighten the load, enabling us to make the most of difficult situations—even when pleasure is hard to come by,