What Brings You Joy In Life?

Herb’s Blog, Herbdate 22979 – 1057

Dear Fans, Friends, Fiends, Foes, Foundlings, Fun-Lovers, Fellow Bloggers, and assorted other Followers,

Here’s the haps:

Is there a difference between happiness and joy? I wondered about this and so, of course I asked The Google. I’m always fascinated by how definitions make such a difference in most discussions. So, the first answer that came up was:

Joy is an inner feeling. Happiness is an outward expression. Joy endures hardship and trials and connects with meaning and purpose. A person pursues happiness but chooses joy.

A common thread in all of the comparisons I read seemed to be that happiness has to do with what brings you pleasure and isn’t as deep as joy. Joy is much more spiritual and can come from things like helping someone else and seems to be more about making connections and isn’t necessarily always about your feelings in the moment.

One example was that spending time with a pet can bring a meaningful connection while a good cup of coffee can bring you happiness (I know that that statement requires many caveats but that might be for a different post). One is memorable while the other is not so much memorable but brings you pleasure.

A lot of life is attitude and you can be positive and look at it with faith and joy or you can be negative and sour and see life with a sense of, “Every silver lining has a cloud.” It’s a choice and not always an easy one but you can control your mind.

Now. I am doubly blessed because grandchildren in my life bring both, joy and happiness. I feel connected to them and I get pleasure, not only from seeing them and talking to them and watching their antics but from doing things for and with them. These things all connect me to them.

And I am grateful as well because not everyone gets to have these great blessings. I’m sorry for you. Genuinely and sincerely sorry but I couldn’t ever trade places with you. I love ’em all. I have an adult this year, 18 years old, and a 16, a 14, 13, 7, 3, 18 months and a 13 month old. This doesn’t include “adopted” ones.

These connections are only one example of something that brings joy in my life but this was the first one I thought of.

Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

proverbs 17:6