Jun 4th, 2026 Thursday Sunny
I recently watched “Inside Out 2” with my husband.
It was a fun movie – the first one, released more than a decade ago, was an immediate hit. It was so popular, and discussed topics so meaningful and so rarely touched upon before in children’s movies, that a professor in my graduate program organized a lab meeting for it. When I found out about the sequel, I was looking forward to furthering the journey in emotions through a funny, animated lens.
And it did not disappoint. In case you would like to see it yourself, I would not spoil any plot. What I remember most though, other than the sar-chasm analogy that made me laugh out loud, was a line by Joy, the ever gleaming emotion, a not at all joyful realization, “maybe, when you grow up, you feel less joy.”
It hit home because I have heard very similar comments from other adults, often in a matter-of-fact way. It seems a truth universally acknowledged that, as we enter adulthood, we know more of the world and take on more obligations, the portion of our time left for joy dwindles significantly. Those that pretend or behave otherwise are either immature or irresponsible.
Even though this may just be a natural course of life, I do not view it as completely sad. There are plenty of other emotions that fill in, enriching the tapestry of our life story. What some of us might be repining, is a complete lack of joy – not just there is less, but NONE.
It can happen on its own. When we were kids, we could easily name the things that brought us joy – certain toys, playtime with buddies, a visit to amusement park, etc. However, as we age, many of these “favorite things” either become not viable (are you still in contact with your childhood friends?), or they have lost the appeal they used to have (now a trip to your secret base on a neighborhood hill is more likely to feel nostalgic, rather than joyful).
If so, we can just swap in other activities, ones that truly make us happy NOW, right?
It turns out identifying those “new joys” is not as easy. It takes time (we seemed to have plenty but not any more), the courage to explore (most adults are more risk averse than children), and the mindset to fully engage (not so simple when we have a seemingly endless to-do list).
More importantly, because this task is not a MUST-DO, compared to chores, work, family issues, we tend to forget about it. It appears that no negative consequences will follow, at least for a while.
Until we wake up one day, looking ahead the years in front of us, and hear the silent crying of the little child deep in our souls. Without experiencing joy, the primary emotion that the world introduced to us, we have forgotten the strongest connection to him/her.
It does not have to be this way. Yet if we want to change it, we must be intentional.
Set aside a couple of hours every now and then, to charge the positive battery. Find something that sincerely brings a smile to our faces – hobbies, snuggles with loved ones, solitary moments in nature. This should not be a luxury – it is how we stay true to our hearts.
Of course, Yuuki is a master in this art. She could be entranced in whatever silly ventures around her, without a care for anything else. I bet the Joy in her head clearly dominates others.
Perhaps when she acts like this, she is trying to remind us, no matter what the day looks like, remember to find joy.