What If You Didn’t Need to Lose It to Love It? A New Philosophy of Joy of Living

I’ve studied the concept of “joy of living” for many years—not just through research but as a lifelong pursuit. It’s something that I’ve examined, practiced, and felt first-hand. And over time, I've come to understand that this isn’t about achieving a state of perpetual happiness or "positive vibes only." It is also not something we get to experience or appreciate if we suffer. It's about something much deeper: the ability to engage fully with life, in all its complexity, its challenges, and its beauty. Joy of living is a philosophy that embraces all experiences without needing to chase them or avoid the harder moments.

When I talk about joy of living, I’m not referring to a fleeting emotional state or some form of fake positivity. It's not about suppressing life’s darker sides or denying the reality of suffering. Instead, it’s about the choice to live—to be present with the entirety of life, including the messiness and unpredictability, and still find meaning and richness in the process. Joy of living isn’t something that’s handed to us. It’s something we actively choose, even when faced with adversity.

I challenge the perspective that suffering is there to teach us happiness. Suffering is there to teach us life, just as happiness is. Life brings us both, not as opposites but as parts of a whole. And we don’t need to “earn” joy. It is simply there, waiting for us to accept it as part of the human experience.

So how do we cultivate this “joy of living”?

1. Cultivate Gratitude: Gratitude is about noticing simplicity and appreciating it. It’s about developing an eye for beauty, whether that’s physical or metaphorical. Gratitude challenges our perspective, helping us ask: "What are the things I already have that I truly value but might be neglecting to appreciate?" It could be a friend who always calls, a receptionist who greets you with a smile, or the love you receive in a simple text. Gratitude is about connecting with these small moments and seeing them as part of life’s beauty.

2. Build Resilience: Resilience is about endurance. It’s about anchoring ourselves in the power and strength we all have within us—a gift we’re born with. It’s not about avoiding suffering, but about enduring it with a sense of inner strength. When we tap into this resilience, we can face life’s challenges with an unwavering sense of self, no matter what comes our way.

3. Cultivate Wisdom: Wisdom is about integrating all of life’s experiences—both the highs and the lows—into our understanding of what it means to be human. It’s also about connecting with our intuition, trusting our inner voice to guide us. Wisdom helps us navigate through the complexities of life, allowing us to see the bigger picture and to embrace the fullness of our human experience.

Joy of living isn’t about having it all figured out or pushing away life’s darker sides. It’s about appreciating the extraordinary experience of simply being alive, of being human. Life will bring us both joy and suffering. But joy of living is about being happy to be alive in spite of it all. It’s a lived experience, one that we actively choose through our connection to life and the acceptance of all that life brings.

If you'd like to read more on how to fight anxiety and depression, check out my previous post here. And if you're on Instagram, follow me at @the_cartesian_expeerience where I give more insights and I will break down the Gratitude, Wisdom and Resilience in some helpful reels in the next few days.

Enjoy it all!

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