Happiness
@puddleglum (1380)
United States
March 13, 2016 4:04pm CST
I read an article today titled, "10 Troubling Habits of Chronically Unhappy People." One big takeaway for me was the importance of not basing your happiness on circumstances, as they are always changing.
Personally, I try to focus on joy more than happiness. Joy is a more permanent, profound concept than happiness. I find joy in many things. Most importantly, I find it in God's loving faithfulness. I also find it in my family's love--even in the family members that aren't with me anymore. I also find joy in things that engage my mind and heart--reading great literature and writing. Also, I find it in showing concern for others.
Whether small or big--reminders of joy are all around, even when they're difficult to spot.
Where do you find your joy?
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11 people like this
11 responses
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
24 Mar 16
Honestly I find joy in being outdoors. When I go outside and see all the beautiful colors, I know God exists.
3 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
24 Mar 16
@puddleglum We are blessed to be able to see it.
2 people like this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
24 Mar 16
So true! The changing of a season is an especially great time to think on the joys of Creation.
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@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
14 Mar 16
@puddleglum I'm also a realist and know full well that sometimes we can overwhelmed by hardships or simply what we are feeling at the time.
2 people like this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
14 Mar 16
That's a good point, since many circumstances are beyond our control, it's unhealthy to wrap our happiness up in them.
1 person likes this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
24 Mar 16
I like the idea of finding joy in everything. There are many gifts in this life--family, friends, lovely music, thunderstorms--too many to count!
1 person likes this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
13 Mar 16
That seems like a good way to ensure joy is a part of your daily life and not just an abstract concept.
1 person likes this
@lilnana1111 (2305)
• United States
28 Mar 16
I find joy in family, friends and God.
2 people like this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
28 Mar 16
I also find joy in those things--these relationships are the treasures that endure our entire lives.
2 people like this
@paigea (36316)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
I find joy in the small everyday things that I take time to notice and appreciate. Today it will be a nice breezy spring walk and seeing the laundry swaying out there too.
Very true that we can't always be waiting for the right circumstances to be happy.
3 people like this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
13 Mar 16
That's a lovely way to find joy--paying attention to the beauty all around.
2 people like this
@patgalca (18390)
• Orangeville, Ontario
15 Mar 16
My kids used to bring me great joy. Now they are grown. One, who is away at university, still bring me great joy. The older one is still living at home and can be a pain as she doesn't help out around the house physically or financially. I know she can't afford to financially, so why not cook a meal for me and her dad once in awhile? Now I just try and look forward to what the future might bring and hope it fills my life with joy.
2 people like this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
15 Mar 16
Family definitely brings me joy as well, but I agree with you, it's sometimes difficult to navigate the tension between the joy I have in my love for them and the frustration at the the things they do to make me unhappy. (I'm sure I cause my share of frustration as well.) Maybe that's why family is one of my more complicated joys.
I admire your optimism for future joys.
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@celticeagle (168126)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Mar 16
I feel just the opposite. Happiness is more permanent and joy is momentary delight.
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@celticeagle (168126)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Mar 16
@puddleglum .....in family and friends. Things that are tried and true. To me, joy comes from the nice surprises along the way.
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@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
14 Mar 16
That's interesting. So, in what kinds of things or ideas do you find your long term happiness?
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
20 Mar 16
Being chronically unhappy would be a sad state indeed. If we really stop and think (not always easy to do) we can realize that how we react to events is a choice each and every time.
2 people like this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
21 Mar 16
I agree--each reaction is a choice. This is a good principle to remember in relationships also. Recently, I let temporary ire disrupt my own happiness and someone else's. I realize even better now that it is important to pause and consider the right response under various pressures.
2 people like this
@innertalks (22070)
• Australia
6 Apr 16
I have never thought much about happiness and its relationship to joy much before.
What is the difference between joy and happiness, I wonder?
Happiness of course is inbuilt within our heart as an integrated part of who we really are. When we live from this happiness, we exhibit joy, and so joy builds from happiness in this way, I think.
I have never looked for happiness outside of myself because of this idea of mine, but I have found joy from my various hobbies, and interactions with others.
Perhaps when I am finding joy, I am also sharing my love of my interest with them. Happiness always comes forth from us, when we love, and share this love with others, I feel also.
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
6 Apr 16
Well said. I like how you describe joy as a manifestation of inner happiness. Your comment reminds me of one of the most important aspects of happiness, which is our willingness and ability to bring joy to others.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (22070)
• Australia
6 Apr 16
@puddleglum Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
If we are filled with hope, it also brings us joy it seems.
How is hope related to joy, happiness, and love?
Hope, I think, connects love to joy, and this always brings you peace, and peace of course is always a happy peace to be a true one, so such peace allows happiness to be itself in you then too.
1 person likes this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
6 Apr 16
@innertalks I think you're right, hope is what makes love joyous and we find peace in that. These are all fruits God plants within us, so that they are not dependent on something external. The peace we have is "not as the world gives" (John 14:27) but instead, it's lasting. All that's left to do is share it.
1 person likes this
@supercalifredge (606)
• United States
14 Mar 16
In a psychology class I took this year, we learned that there's no statistics significance between the number of positive or negative events that occur in happy vs. unhappy people's lives: it only depends on their outlook concerning those events. Thanks for the great post!
2 people like this
@puddleglum (1380)
• United States
15 Mar 16
That is an intriguing fact. It's also encouraging to realize we have control over our emotional wellbeing.
2 people like this
