Purposeful StoriesJune 2023
JOY
Joy is a state of mind. It is about feeling pleased about something ordinary or extraordinary. Besides being a major element of positive psychology, joy is central to what it means to be a human. Yet joy remains the least explored positive emotion. That is why we are exploring joy this June so that we feel and experience this emotion together….
How does one define joy? Can there be a standard definition? Well, we identify joy and know about this emotion only when we experience it. Joy is intrinsic to spiritual enrichment and an essential part of the very foundation of spiritual existence that transcends barriers of all kinds. In the absence of joy we realise its true importance in life. There is immeasurable joy in the ordinary, in simplicity, and in caring and sharing. There is also joy in unearthing something unknown, unravelling the mystery, and in the discovery of new paths, avenues and creative career choices in the 21st century.
Joy in simplicity
The concept of joy is emotive at various levels. Joy renders the existence of humankind valuable. That is perhaps why modern-day psychologists emphasise the nuance involved in asking a simple and routine question like “How are you?” Psychologists insist that we should cultivate a habit of asking “How are you feeling?” as an alternative to the usual “How are you?”query.
So, how are you feeling? Is reading one of your preferred hobbies, does reading bring joy your way, and what do you make of poetry?
A poem pulled from a book The Parent’s Tao Te Ching by William Martin bats for finding joy in the ordinary without ruthlessly pushing kids and making them strive for extraordinary lives. Martin’s poem encourages modern parents to show their children the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears, and show them how to cry when pets and people die.
Here is the poem
Do not ask your children
to strive for extraordinary lives.
Such striving may seem admirable,
but it is the way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder
and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting
tomatoes, apples and pears.
Show them how to cry
when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure
in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.
Martin’s poem compels us to reflect on the values of the ordinary and the joys of simplicity. The case in point is the story of the indefatigable Spartan Gastan Dayanand. At the age of 86, Dayanand continues to work for India’s most marginalised and vulnerable in ‘The City of Joy’ (Kolkata). The sole motive behind the man’s inspiring journey has been his selfless commitment to improve the conditions of India’s poorest in the slums. Born to a working-class family in Geneva — one of the well-known cities of Switzerland along with the capital city of Bern — says that he figured out the real aim in his life at the age of six. He vividly recalls dedicating his life to “the Christ and the poor” at such a tender age.
No wonder his remarkable work for the deprived in the slums of Pilkhana, a neighbourhood in West Bengal’s Howrah district, shaped the plot of renowned French author Dominique Lapierre’s 1985 book “The City of Joy”.
Dominique and Dayanand became friends after the former convinced the latter of his sincerity about writing a novel involving the stories of the underprivileged. Published in 1985, the novel sold several million copies. Working for the poor has been a constant source of joy for Dayanand while the act of writing about the poor was a joyous experience for Dominique.
In 1981, Dayanand received Lapierre as a visitor. Dominique Lapierre, the acclaimed French author and Padma Bhushan awardee, was apparently sent to Gastan Dayanand by Mother Teresa. In a gesture of generosity, Dominique financed the Inter-Religious Center of Development (ICOD), a Non-Governmental Organisation co-founded by Dayanand, at a rate of about $3 million (approximately INR 25 Crore) a year, for about 30 years.
Sadly, Lapierre passed away in December 2022 and Mother Teresa breathed her last in September 1997. During their lifetime, both of them experienced joy and spread this emotion with acts of kindness and simplicity.
The joy of rains
In the countryside or in hamlets, it is not unusual during the rainy season to get drenched on the way to agricultural fields or school. It is a common sight. It is not uncommon either for kids to get soaked and rehearse their dancing steps in the rain. The rains transport the emotion of joy in myriad ways. For instance, the rain waters irrigate the farmlands, bring respite to countless people from an unbearable heat wave, inspire artistic endeavours, and bring joy to the animals and the birds as well.
Toward the end of May and by early June, the peacocks perform an elaborate dance. They use their tail feathers to perform dance and employ tiny crystal-like structures spaced through the feathers that bend and reflect light. They find joy in this exhibit. So do people watching them showcase their deftness.
So, we are in June. In many places, the weather is usually hot and humid. In such extreme weather conditions, people eagerly wait for a good rain shower. That is why the rainy season is the much-awaited spell. From June until September, it is the joyous season that coincides with the arrival of the monsoon. In India, the monsoon rains or barsaat means different things and leads to different experiences for various sections of the populace. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted normal monsoon rains in 2023. The rains bode well for India’s domestic consumption centred companies in particular as key financial analysts predict huge profits for them. The monsoon season is also a good piece of news for the farmers.
In some parts, however, the incessant rains also inflict damage on the crops. The farmers in such places organise special prayers for the rains to stop. The fact remains that in the majority of places there is scarcity of rainwater. It must be noted that over 600 million Indians, as per the 2018 NITI Aayog report, face a severe shortage of water. What is being done on the ground to alter such a grim situation?
Arghyam, a reputed public charitable foundation based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, supports sustainable water and sanitation solutions to bring joy to those coping with acute water stress in India. Established in 2005, Arghyam collaborates with partners across India to develop a design to achieve “safe, sustainable water for all of India.” The foundation’s mission is to “strengthen the ability of the ecosystem to enable water security” for 100 million Indians by 2023.
One of the foundation’s strengths lies in placing communities at the heart of decision-making processes. To enable people to make informed choices they need to be trained and equipped with specific knowledge to value and manage their water resources more effectively than before. One of their current initiatives is to build and strengthen the technical capabilities of NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005) functionaries in the Indian state of Karnataka. The Government of Karnataka has shown determination to implement the flagship Antarajala Chetana Programme in the southern state to improve groundwater levels in rural geography while deriving rich dividends from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The Karnataka Government has engaged a cadre of females as Grama Kayaka Mitras (GKMs) on a monthly remuneration. The objective is to establish a robust network while connecting the GKMs with the communities so that more and more individuals are attracted to the scheme and place their trust and confidence in the established system.
To make this process work, Foundation for Ecological Security, Arghyam’s partner in Karnataka, has been diligently working with the MGNREGS for more than a year to build capacities as far as the technical know-how of the NREGA functionaries is concerned. Arghyam has been offering its full support and mentorship to FES so that it effectively engages with the Government of Karnataka to design and adopt a model for NRM planning at scale.
The organisation’s endeavours are worth applauding because the aim is to bring joy to the people with the help of the rains!
Joy in caring
Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as The Buddha to his followers, once said to his son, Rahula: “When you see that you’ve acted, spoken, or thought in a skilful way—conducive to happiness while causing no harm to yourself or others—take joy in that fact and keep on training.” The Buddha said this in the context of meditation and effort. Indeed, it promotes joyful attitude and inspires individuals to find joy in caring for each other.
An empirical research study has revealed that joy has been one of the least studied human emotions despite the fact that it is on everyone’s list of fundamental or primary emotions. Robert A. Emmons, a professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis, is considered one of the world’s prominent experts on gratitude. Additionally, Emmons is the founding editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology. He wonders how joy has been neglected and “curiously omitted from the purview of Positive Psychology.” In a special issue in his journal on Joy, the leading psychologist argued why joy, as an emotion and a part of positive psychology, merited more attention than it usually gets.
“Joy has been one of the least studied human emotions despite the fact that it is on everyone’s list of basic or primary emotions. In fact, if awards were given for the emotion most neglected by psychologists, joy would surely be among the contenders. It is the last major unexplored positive emotion”
“We cannot understand human beings unless we understand joy and how joy comes to be”
One of the many ways to experience and value the emotion of joy is to equip individuals in a manner that enables them to discover their true potential and deliver performances. The Karnataka-based Udhyam Learning Foundation (ULF) does astonishing work in this direction. At the ULF, many individuals are imparted training to become self-aware, take responsibility for their lives and claim ownership of their future independently.
Antara Telang, Director of Digital and Content at Gnothi Seauton, works closely with ULF and appreciates the significance of joy.
“As we work with organisations that derive joy from caring about people—their present and their future—few other things could be as rewarding. Clients like Udhyam Learning Foundation, who are focused on unlocking entrepreneurial mindsets in students and nano-entrepreneurs across India, teach us the real value of joy.
It brings us joy to amplify their programmes, meaningfully engage with their stakeholders, and help forge partnerships within the ecosystem for them. ”
The organisation’s work is steered by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) laid down by the United Nations. The ULF is on a mission to bring joy to individuals by achieving 17 SDGs adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. The UN document provides an outline for peace and for people living on the planet Earth. The goals include eradication of poverty and hunger, working toward well-being and good health for every individual, providing quality education without discrimination, ensuring gender equality, and taking necessary actions to combat global warming and climate change etc.
Joy in discovery
There is joy in keeping abreast with the digital revolution and technological makeover. Those born between 2010 and 2024 are referred to as Generation Alpha. This Generation finds plenty of joy in invention and discovery. It is discovering new career opportunities to navigate various challenges posed by AI.
Four decades back, children had limited career choices. They wanted to become either doctors or engineers, often under peer pressure or the desire of their parents. Some others would choose teaching or banking as a profession. That was mostly about it. But in the 21st century, the new generation is discovering new paths. Generation Alpha finds joy in exploring interesting career options; cyber-security, crypto currency, design thinking, entrepreneurship and app development to name a few. The youth are making excellent use of technology as creators and thus negotiating and redefining their relationship with modern digital tools.
One organisation passionately focused on imparting life skills to the young for their all-round development is the Life Skills Collaborative (LSC)—championing life skills for India's youths to thrive, through an extensive on-ground outreach program. Through their Voices, Glossary and Assessments programme, LSC is helping institutions, organisations and government to drive the integration of life skills within public education systems and support government engagement and action. https://lifeskillscollaborative.in/workscape/
As life throws many challenges at various stages, teaching kids and adolescents how to be in awe of simple things and grooming them to find their way through extraordinary challenges is critical. It is imperative to work on their social emotional skills.
Maya Memon—the Bangalore-based Founder and Director, The Teacher Foundation (TTF)—has been active in the field of education for over three decades now. Her vast professional experience in conceptualising and designing an extensive range of school and teacher-related educational projects is second to none. Sharing her expert opinion with Gnothi Seauton, she asserts: “The enduring conception of schools in India has been that they are places where students have to get disciplined and toughened up to a life of learning and exams. While this perception has changed in pockets of effective practice, the vast majority of our schools still seem 19th century! Joy, imagination, laughter are unfortunately not pervasive elements in these schools. Joy and imagination conjure up positive emotions and energy, colour, movement, music, whereas most of school life, especially the quality of classroom learning is dull, grey, serious and harsh.”
One often dwells on the well-worn phrase of education being a preparation for life but does it have to be in anticipation of a monotonous, mechanical and mediocre existence? Why not a preparation for happiness, joy and creativity? We believe these conditions are vital for our young to become thoughtful and resilient as individuals. Every young person possesses within them a deep source of happiness but only a few get connected to that,” she concludes.
That is exactly where LSC steps in to play a critical role by working closely with multiple stakeholders including civil society coalitions, parents, teachers and government bodies. In this manner, LSC helps children to gain rewarding life experiences through training so that they learn to navigate through hardships. LSC acts as a conduit between different stakeholders and takes inputs and insights from kids, adolescents, parents, and teachers etc to understand aspirations to subsequently conceive plans for integration of life skills. The organisation has thus far collected insights from nearly 26,000 stakeholders across 11 states of India in seven different languages.
Such an experience of joy while helping children to acquire life skills cannot be expressed in words alone for words can be cosmetic at times. Joy of this nature is experienced and felt by those whose lives transform for better and who play a role in making things happen!
Now, you tell us what do you make of the emotion of joy? What has been your experience with joy? What does joy mean to you?
Curated Reads
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The City of Joy
Here is the story of the 86-year-old Spartan Gastan Dayanand who works for India’s most marginalised in ‘The City of Joy’ (Kolkata). His selfless commitment to improve the conditions of the deprived in the slums of Pilkhana in West Bengal formed the plot of French writer Dominique Lapierre’s 1985 book “The City of Joy”.
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Monsoon Economy
Agriculture is said to be the “backbone” of the Indian economy. Water is valuable as it is needed in abundance to irrigate the fields. In more ways than one, the monsoon rains are the lifeblood of India’s agriculture-dependent economy. Beginning June 1, India gets 70 per cent of its annual rainfall during the monsoon season.
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Digital Natives
Generation Alpha is redefining its relationship with digital transformation and technological explosion in the 21st century. Here is what it means to ‘grow up digital’ in this era…
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Magical Touch
Shreya Bansal’s poem depicts the joy and beauty of rain. The poem’s verses describe the rainfall’s magical touch; how it makes the trees glad and convinces the kids to enjoy their dancing steps in the rain.
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Joy of Rains
In a poem titled The Hut, the Rotterdam-born children’s writer Hilda Gerada van Stockum portrays family life, joys of simplicity and the art of finding happiness in modest things. In this poem, she craftily talks about the two siblings erecting a hut with the help of twigs and leaves “over a sandy pit.” It is a tiny hut. It is simple. Yet, it provides enormous joy to a sister and her brother for a variety of reasons.
Podcast
School of Purpose: Episode 3
From Limitations to Liberation: Empowering Individuals with Disabilities
In today's episode, we are joined by Dr. Senthil NS Kumar, CEO & Executive Director of The Association of People with Disabilities, and a true visionary in the field of rehabilitation. Tune in to know more about Dr. Senthil's invaluable insights as he throws a spotlight on what it takes to remould the landscape of rehabilitation, and make the world a better place, one meaningful step at a time.