I am struggling with people who are choosing to thrive in a state of self proclaimed joy. Please allow me to explain why. I have nothing against joy, in fact, joy is the state of being that deserves to be grown and nurtured. But here is the caveat: I don’t believe joy can exist in singularity. I believe joy is meant to be shared. And when joy singularly exists in a bubble of protection against the suffering around us, it is by definition a selfish state of being.

In the mystery schools we are taught that each individual is an aspect of the whole. That we come from a place of unity to understand division before we return again to the state of unity. This concept threads through ancient philosophy and spiritual texts. It breaks down the laws of hierarchy and the problematic separatist notions of “other” to remind us that at our essence we are more alike than we are different. Each body is created from the same basic components. Each soul arises from the same source.

There are many people in the diverse body of spiritual fields who have chosen to elevate themselves beyond unity consciousness for personal protection and/or gain. Consider the hierarchical structure of organized religion. Consider the spiritual “teacher” who chooses to place the self above the student. Consider also those who choose to bypass global trauma and suffering so that they can reside in their bubbles of “joy.”

Yesterday, I found myself in a state of agitation when talking with one of those people. She is a good friend of mine. She is a good person, in essence, yet she has chosen to distance herself from the suffering of others so that she can focus on growing her own abundance and joy. She is okay with this, but I am not. Maybe I should be, but I’m not.

As I stated at that beginning of this post, I am not opposed to personal joy. In fact, I believe it is each of our birthrights. But to exist in a state of joy when those around you are suffering not only places you in a state of chosen immunity, it negates the law of unity. It creates a chosen system of hierarchy and otherness that is not sustainable for the wellbeing of all.

Can we truly thrive when others are suffering? In order to sustain her bubble of joy, my friend has chosen to stay uniformed about current events. She has chosen to cut herself off from the crises occurring elsewhere because for now she is in a place of safety and security. There is a popular belief based on the “law of attraction” that what we choose to create becomes our reality. Many people interpret this law in a self-focused manner, believing that individually we create our own reality. Reality, though, is a process of co-creation.

Self-imposed immunity is not sustainable. Eventually the bubble of self-created joy begins to dissolve. Those of us existing in this privileged state (for it is a privileged state that is simply not attainable for those subjected to discrimination) will eventually find ourselves affected by the suffering around us. Complete isolation is not sustainable in a global community. Eventually the effects of trying to exist in a state of separation catch up with us. We may discover that we have been unintentionally harming our children, and thus ourselves. We may discover that we can no longer afford luxuries because those who provide them for us can no longer do so. And, eventually we may find that there is no longer anyone around to elevate us into a place of “joy” because of dissolution of our followers through disillusion.

We must not forget that a singular life is only possible because of the lives that exists around it in support. Therefore, joy, by definition, is not meant to be harbored by one, but to be spread through all.