“And I Want To Feel It Too….On An Island In The Sun….”

The popular Weezer song entitled Island In The Sun has to be one of my favorite songs of all time. Not only is it featured in my favorite movie Aquamarine, but it brings the nostalgia of summer and the carefree, sunny days spent by the shore. I listen to this song often. And whether it is one of those summer days or a rainy winter afternoon at home, I will turn the song on, and it always, without fail brings the same familiar feeling. Yesterday as the song came on my playlist, I began to notice something. So often when I listen to it I imagine myself by the ocean on a sunny day surrounded by people I love; because for me, that is my idea of bliss. Now for you, that may be walking by the Eiffel Tower in Paris or skiing the Swiss Alps. You see, we all have our own version of “an island in the sun”, and we all think about it from time to time. A grounding imagine, a thought that brings us joy and peace.

But, what if we could become our own “island in the sun”? Since we can’t always arrive at the physical destination that we long for, it is our responsibility to create the island we want no matter where we are. After reading best-selling author Glennon Doyle’s memoir Untamed, I was inspired to make a connection between the book and the song. She talks about how throughout our lives, the only person we spend 100% of our time with, is ourselves. It is as if we are all individual islands traversing our way through the sea of life. WE have the choice about who and what steps onto our island. We can determine the weather, the music, and the goodness that it brings to other islands. 

There is a distinct difference between happiness and joy. You see, happiness is an emotion that occurs as a result of a positive event occurring. It can be momentary or long-lasting, but regardless, it is cause-and-effect based. Joy on the other hand, is a chosen constant state. Wait a minute- constant joy? No, that’s impossible. But rather a constant state of choosing joy- that is possible. And many of the most successful, happy people are the way that they are because they have learned the art of joy. Holding joy in your heart is a choice always there for you to embrace. It means knowing that negative and challenging things will happen, but trusting in your own joy for life to get you through those moments of struggle.

Why, then, do many people choose not to embrace the joy within them and around them? It is because they have lost sight of their own island and the fact that they are the only ones who can steer their own ship. We have a choice about how we want to show up to our own life. The joy and the sun are always there. It is in the little moments and the big. Build your island to be one that basks in the sun. And share it with each island around you.