Joy Warrior Going Deeper

Joy Warrior 1.0 Karrie Kirchner

The life of the art and how it speaks to me.  

Background:  For the past several years, I have created a New Year’s ritual.  In the days leading up to NYE I go through a three-part reflective process.  I take the time to quiet – take stock of the year I am setting down and offer it gratitude.  I pause in the space of another year “completed.”  After honoring what I have moved through in mind, body and spirit – I look ahead to the coming year.  I ask myself questions – “What am I calling in?  What do I wish to connect to?  Where do I see myself going this year?”  I set intentions, lay foundations, plan goals and also dream a bit.  

During this process, I distill a prayer word for the year.  My December Spiritual Direction visit is spent with me working through a listed selection of prayer-words for the year.  My SD helps me reflect and refine my list.  After holding the options in prayer, I settle on “The One” = the prayer word that is most resonant.  

JOY is my prayer word for 2019.  I choose to move closer to JOY this year.  What does joy even mean?  Well, for me, it means happiness, bubbling up, belly laughs, smiling.  When I envision the embodiment of JOY – I also get the sense of radiance and glowing.  You, Dear Reader, probably expected these associations.  I decided and settled that JOY and I were officially walking together for 2019.  What I did not expect, is that another word came with it.  I did not expect JOY’s companion word – WARRIOR.  

So… I’ve been holding JOY WARRIOR in prayer for ___ months now.  This is what I’ve been noticing.  

On first reaction.  These words seem possibly opposed to each other.  

Iniitally, JOY WARRIOR seems to contradict itself.  Isn’t war the opposite of joy?  

When I gaze at this picture – I can tell clearly that this warrior in Samurai armor.  The warrior is not in a battle situation – you can observe that from the positioning.  The warrior faces you, the viewer.  You can tell that you are a familiar – for the warrior allows you to be in close proximity and approach it in the dark wood.  This warrior is having a peaceful moment of solitude – away from the group gathered by the fire.  

Is JOY WARRIOR is leading you deeper into the illuminated woods?

Is JOY WARRIOR bringing evanescent JOY to you?

I suppose JOY is our choice.  Sometimes JOY is hard won.  It comes from us choosing how we are going to live our lives.  It is a decision.  And I don’t mean glossing over disappointment, ignoring the “bad”, or process skipping difficult emotions.  

This is not JOY WARRIOR’s first battle.  It has been though many wars and has lived to tell.  There are epic stories hidden in each scar.  JOY WARRIOR brings humble wisdom.  JOY is sacred and worth defending and fighting for.