JOY (#1)

Simcha Poretz Geder - Simcha/happiness breaks thru all barriers.

We all encounter obstacles in life that appear to block our path to growth and success. Some are external, challenges presented by the world at large, and others are internal, personal problems which hold us back. We often react to these challenges with feelings of anger, hate, depression or despair.
How unproductive that is! Not only are these feelings painful themselves but they also intensify and magnify the problems we face, making the obstacles more difficult to overcome.
Joy, on the other hand, is in itself a pleasant feeling. And more so, it is the key to the inner power of the soul, unlocking personal strength we didn't know we had.

Rabbi Simchah Bunim of Pshische related the following example.

He once saw a man drowning.

There was no way anyone could save him; the person himself had to summon up his inner energy to fight the waves.
At first, the man was struggling vigorously. But he was quickly losing his strenght. Reb Simcha saw a look of despair on the man's face and that he was prepared to give up. With a slight smile, Reb Simcha shouted to the man: "give regards to the Livyoson" (the great whale)

A light smile then broke out on the drowning man's face, and with fresh vitality, he renewed his struggle and persevered until he was able to save himself.