Seeking Joy Won't Bring You Joy

"If you are setting out to be joyful you are not going to end up being joyful." (pg 43 of The Book of Joy)

When I first read those words from Archbishop Tutu, it immediately made me think of the backwards law. This "law" essentially states that the more you focus on the positive emotion that you want, the more you highlight what you don't have, in essence giving you more of what you don't want. Yet, the more you accept the negative, the more you will end up feeling positive. It is a concept coined by Alan Watts, but discussed by Mark Manson in his book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck.

I don't think this is what Desmond Tutu was referring to though. Instead, he goes on to make the analogy of a flower opening up and blossoming. The flower needs the water and the sun to open up. We, too, need other people to support our joy and to help us blossom. 
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