What is Joy?

As I was watching Oprah being interviewed in one of her more private moments in 2007 she was asked what she wanted out of her life. She said, "I want more joy!" Then I turned to People magazine and gazed at Nick Lachey divorced from Jessica Simpson with his new girlfriend whom he's living with bi-coastally in NYC and LA and the couple was saying their goals for 2008 included "More peace within themselves."

I find it funny hearing that because from the outside wouldn't you think someone like Oprah Winfrey could have "Joy" picked, purified and delivered to her door? She's so wealthy there is literally nothing she can't buy. But she doesn't have enough joy and neither do most of the Hollywood celebrities we spend our lives obsessing over. Don't pretend you don't do it. We're all guilty to some degree of daydreaming of the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I'm with you. I mean who wouldn't want exotic vacations, lavish homes and staff that caters to their every need? I always seem to think these people have some secret to a more contented life. They always look so happy and thin don't forget thin!

But at the end of the day these "celebs" lay their heads on the pillow and go to sleep in their fancy beds just like we do. Their sheets may just have higher thread count. And here's the revelation folks, "They are no happier than we are in the long run!" I'll take it a step further and say most of them are so caught up in "the Hollywood machine" their anxiety is so high they're actually unhappy. Why do I bring this to your attention now? Why am I bursting your bubble about your favorite stars? Because I think we all need to stop the hero worship just a little bit, and now is the time to make some changes for the New Year.

I don't know what we can do, but if each one of us took a tiny step back and stopped empowering the media I think we'd be better off. Do we really need to encourage entire programs called "Brittany Spears: What Went Wrong?" Listen, I know it's tempting. I watch those shows like a bad train wreck...sometimes I just can't look away. But I'm trying to make myself a promise not to spend my time listening to speculations about celebs trying to figure out "who's the hottest" in 2008. I really don't care. I don't get more joy living vicariously through imperfect although good-looking strangers. I just think I've been brainwashed by too much entertainment news that I just need to know what's going in Justin Timberlake's love life. Do I? Do you? That's just my food for thought as we start out the New Year and think about what real joy means. I think it all boils down to the little poem I learned in 1st grade: Joy=Jesus, then Others, then Myself. (I don't think it means reading all the tabloids in the supermarket line or at the hair salon.) But I'll leave that for you to figure out for yourself.

Happy New Year!