In The Sacred Flame, Chapter Five, it says Joy is more than just an emotion with attendant states of excitement or exuberance. Joy is said to be a state of being for the one who lives in love and knows it as it arises out of the response to love, received and felt.
We simply need to open both our physical and spiritual eyes to find these paths to joy which are always before us.
It describes three steps in which to find Joy. The first one being observation. With observation we can see the tiny and large things all around us. The sunlight on the dewy grass, the bird that sings behind the leaves. The clouds and their wonderful shapes and the colors they take on at sunset. By observing the many things around us we can take that first step toward joy.
The second step is appreciation. The one who has truly observed is led to inevitably appreciate and becomes thankful for the gift of ever-present beauty all around us. The mind that knows and seeks beauty is one who cares for others and wants to build a world of love, harmony, and health.
That leads us to Beauty and Love.
When we see Beauty and Love in which all things live, we come to realize that every being is individual and perfect in itself. To look beneath the surface and see the one God in others is our greatest need, for it is the only way by which we will rescue each other from pain.
So, we begin with awareness and build to appreciation which ascends to the receiving and then knowledge of the love of God.
It ends with:
When we know we are loved then can we truly love.
The paths to Joy are the paths to God for they lead to Love which is God.
To step onto one path opens your eyes to others, for they are all one.
Recommended Reading: The Sacred Flame - Chapter Five