joy | A Platform of Sorts

Last week, my sister and I went to see the latest Disney/Pixar production, Inside Out. If, by some chance, you haven’t heard of it, it’s a delightful and colorful animated feature about five of our basic emotions: Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear. At first, I wasn’t sure what I would think of it, but as I heard more and more people talk about the great discussions and lines of communication, particularly about mental illness, that it opened up, I found myself eager to see it.

I wasn’t disappointed. Inside Out teaches the valuable lesson that while you always want your loved ones, and yourself, to be happy, it’s okay, and even healthy, to feel sadness. You should never keep your emotions pent up inside you. You need all of them.

My favorite element of Inside Out, however, were the Islands of Personality. For example, Riley, the girl in whose head the whole movie is centered, has a Hockey Island, a Friendship Island, a Family Island, etc… As my sister and I drove home from the theater that night, we got to thinking about what our own Islands of Personality might be.

Of course, there are the obvious ones like Family and Friends. And Pets! I know I have a Pet Island in there somewhere. My life revolves far too much around loving my cat and hoping for parakeets not to have a Pet Island. Family is obviously the most important of the Islands. I’d do anything for my parents and my sister and I know they’d do anything for me. That goes for my friends as well.

I definitely have a Book Island. This Island includes books that I’ve read, books that I’ve written, and books that I have yet to write. Let’s face it, a good deal of my life is dedicated to reading and writing books. And I love it. I love it so, so, so much.

There’s also most certainly a Photography Island. Besides writing, photography is my other great love. As any of my friends will tell you, I am addicted to all forms of photography, from professional to Instagram. I love capturing moments and I love sharing the world as seen through the lens.

Right next door to Photography Island is Exploration, Nature, and Adventure Island. These Islands, like the others, are fairly self-explanatory. I love being outside and exploring and traveling and experiencing new things and seeing new places. I live for moments spent hiking beneath the trees, stargazing, and swimming in the ocean. I would love to be known as a NYT Bestselling Author, but I would also love to be known as an explorer and adventurer.

Finally, there’s Fantasy Island. I’m a daydreamer. I think about the future far more than I dwell on the past (which is saying something, because I have been known to be a dweller). Fantasy Island is also home to Mystery City, which includes a fascination with things that can’t be explained. I love the idea that we don’t have everything figured out yet. I love that we, as a human race, still have things that we have yet to learn and discover. I love the idea of being curious and being thrilled and being absolutely blown away by things that we can’t even begin to fathom.

I’m sure there are others too, but I think those are my most dominant personality Islands. What are yours?

I’ve been a dreamer and a make-believer as far back as I can remember. Honestly, I always thought I was just a late bloomer, that my mental maturity developed at a slightly slower pace than my peers. Then, during a talk with my mother shortly before my graduation from grad school, I told her how anxious I was about being a real adult and how I was afraid I was still so behind my friends in terms of “real world achievements.” Instead of assuring me that I was completely normal and that I had nothing to worry about, however, she told me, “Well, maybe you’re just different. You have always marched to your own tune.”

At first, I really wasn’t sure that was a compliment, though now that I’m older, I’m pretty sure it is. I like being me. I like the things that I do and the way I see the world. Somewhere along the line, though, I’m afraid a vital part of me got lost. Even though I’ve made it a priority ever since I was a teenager to hold on to the dreams and ideas that have always brought me so much joy over the years, I can feel the harsh demands of money and status and reality striving to pull them away. Above all, the artistic soul craves freedom, and in a world where money and power are the Alpha and Omega, true freedom is hard to come by.

Like several new adults, I’ve let the idea that “I have to do this” and “I have to do that” in order to be successful get in my head. Guess what? It’s made me miserable. That’s not how it’s supposed to work, is it?

I’ve never believed that there was only “one true path” to success or happiness, though I’ve met several people who begged to differ. I’ve decided that I’m going to take the next few months to see if I can prove them wrong. The new book (the title of which I will hopefully be able to reveal soon) will be out on July 1. Along with editing, formatting, and working on new manuscripts, I’m going to try to get back to what it means to be joyful, to be confident, and to live each day the way I’m meant to live it.

To be honest, I don’t really want too much out of life. I like being outside. I like blue skies and green fields and forests and rivers and oceans. I want a good book to read. I want to get healthy, in mind and in body. I want to do good and take pictures and write. I honestly don’t care if anyone knows my name or if I get a fancy car or designer jewelry (though a lake house would be AWESOME). Or maybe the truth is I want everything out of life, it just doesn’t seem like all that much by today’s standards.

Regardless, I’m going to try to make it all happen. Wish me luck!