I spy joy in the news

Looking for joy? You’re not the only one, as evidenced by the appearance of articles in New York, Quebec and Johannesburg. For a lighter approach, try Harvey MacKay’s “Lessons in life from the tale of a dog”, published in The Times Union in Albany, New York. Harvey says, “We can learn a lot from dogs. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.” He goes on to add other suggestions on being happy from our four-legged friends:

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
• Take naps.
• Run, romp, and play daily.
• Let people touch you.
• When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

If you have a more scientific mind, you might like “What do you mean, be happy?” from The Gazette in Quebec, Canada. Here they reference reports and papers like the 2006 “The Happiness Hypothesis” by academic Jonathan Haidt. For something more editorial in nature, check out Sarah Britten’s “A small thing of joy is a beauty forever” in The Times from Johannesburg, South Africa. Sarah notes, “It is more necessary than ever to find joy in the sort of thing that, in the past, one might have overlooked; to expand it beyond all proportion and celebrate wildly.” Whichever suits your fancy, it’s nice to see something as simple as good old fashioned joy getting a nod or three from the press.