Beyond Happiness

In this episode, Beyond Happiness: How Beauty Unlocks True Joy . . .

While pedaling through Southern California's beautiful, golden hills this past weekend, a question gently surfaced: "Why does this feel so good? And why settle for happiness when you can experience something far deeper?" Fifty-five years in the making, this ride was about to offer an answer.

At 14, I first discovered the incredible freedom of riding a bicycle—the exhilarating thrill of the wind rushing past me, the soothing rhythm of my breathing, and the beautiful feeling of truly being in the world, not just passing through it. All these years later, I treasure my rides, waking up early on quiet weekends to embrace the morning on two wheels.

But today's ride was different.

The spring air was clean, calm, and textured with the scent of new blossoms. The mustard plants were in bloom — California’s golden fireworks — and the hills were lit with color, like a living Van Gogh. I could feel happiness bubbling up: a childlike glee in the sheer aliveness of it all.

As the golden light warmed my skin and the scent of new blossoms filled the air, the bubbling happiness began to transform. It wasn't just a thrill but a quiet deepening, profound recognition. Here, amidst the beauty, joy was beginning.

I realized that riding and observing beautiful sights can evoke a sense of connection to a deeper state of being that is often overlooked in daily life.

John O’Donohue, the Irish poet and philosopher, wrote that:

“When we awaken to the call of beauty, we become aware of new ways of being in the world.” — Beauty: The Invisible Embrace

Beauty is more than something pleasing to the eye. It’s a call — a nudge from the world and the soul to wake up. And when we listen, something in us shifts. Happiness may be the surface sparkle, but joy is what happens when the soul answers beauty’s call.

Joy isn't excitement. It isn't even comfort. It's a quiet depth — an invisible embrace — that says, 'This is who you are when you're most alive.'

After decades of cycling, my body knows these motions, my muscles remember every hill, every descent. The rhythm of my breath has become a meditation. This deep familiarity opens the door to presence—to a state where I don’t have to think, I simply get to feel.

And in that quiet feeling — the soft rush of wind, the hum of tires, the call of a bird — joy arrives. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t insist. It simply is.

Let's ask a few more questions: What if we allow beauty to guide us deeper?

What if we didn’t rush past the mustard hills, the ocean air, or a friend's laughter?

What if we paused long enough to let happiness settle — and become joy?

The next time something moves you — a splash of color, the whisper of a breeze, the echo of a friend's laughter — pause. Ask yourself: Is this simply happiness, or is this your soul remembering something older, truer, and infinitely more lasting?

I invite you to explore that difference in your life. For more information, check out John O’Donohue’s book Beauty–The Invisible Embrace.

I'm Patrick Ball. Stay curious, ask questions. See you in the next episode.