Joy and Happiness, What's the Difference?-016

During the next few episodes we will be talking about joy and experiencing a life of joy, even in times of sadness.  In this episode we will discuss the difference between happiness and joy.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of joy and happiness: Joy is the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.

Happiness is a state of well-being and contentment; a pleasurable or satisfying experience.

An article in Psychologies Magazine states:  Joy and happiness are wonderful feelings to experience, but are very different. Joy is more consistent and is cultivated internally. It comes when you make peace with who you are, why you are and how you are, whereas happiness tends to be externally triggered and is based on other people, things, places, thoughts and events. They suggest 3 things that you can do to help foster joy.

1.  Meditation.

It's important to be able to tap into your heart rather than your head, your intuition rather than your thinking mind. Quietening the chatter in your mind and creating space within allows you to listen more closely to what brings you joy.

2. Cut down on social media.

We are so heavily influenced by what we 'should like/do/have/buy' that this so often is not in line with what truly brings us joy. For many of us, social media has become a necessity in our day. If ditching social media altogether is not an option, think about how you can cut down on it.

3. Keep a journal and practice gratitude for the things that bring you joy.

Cultivate gratitude wherever possible and even have gratitude for the things that challenge you, as these help you to grow and build strength. This also helps to define what brings you joy and what doesn’t.

Having an attitude of gratitude makes us more appreciative and trusting, gives us better self-esteem and helps us bounce back from stress. It allows us to view the world, and our situation within this world, in a more positive, healthy way.

An article I reference in Psychology Today states:  Happiness is external. It's based on situations, events, people, places, things, and thoughts. Happiness is future-oriented and it puts all its eggs in someone else's basket. It is dependent on outside situations, people, or events to align with your expectations so that the end result is your happiness. But happiness is not joy because joy is not external, it can't be bought and it is not conditional on someone else's behavior. In fact, joy is not contingent on anything in order to exist.

Making a large purchase of something that you have wanted can make you happy, but does it cause you joy.  How many times have you been so happy because of something you acquired, such as a new car, house, boat, clothes, and the list goes on.  How often can you say, knowing what we have heard about the difference between joy and happiness, has the acquisition ended up giving you joy? How often has it resulted in regrets?

We will be talking about why joy can be so elusive, even when we experience happiness.  We will talk about why people experience joy even while living in the darkest places or experiencing great difficulty. Much of the discussion will take place around the book The Joy Model by Jeff Spadafora of the Halftime Institute.

Action Item:  Send me a comment about what makes you experience joy, or what you feel is keeping you from experiencing a sense of joy.  Email your comments to [email protected] or put them in the comments section under the show notes for this episode at craigcoilecoaching.com/encore.  While you are doing this, please take time to leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform.

Joy, feeling one's own value, being appreciated and loved by others, feeling useful and capable of production are all factors of enormous value for the human soul. - Maria Montessori

The exercise of benevolence is joy to loving hearts: the more pain it costs, the more joy it is. Kind actions make us happy, and in such joy we find communion with the great heart of Jesus. -Charles Spugeon

Resources:

Psychologies: Joy vs. Happiness

Psychology Today: Joy vs. Happiness

Half Time Institute: The Joy Model

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