Are you happy? Or joyful? Or happy AND joyful? Knowing the difference can be a life changer!
On the surface, you may think that happiness and joy are the same thing. But they are in fact quite different. It is important to understand the difference because which one you live in more determines how you experience life. This will be a highly educational blog for those who wish to experience life in a more fulfilling way.
First – what is the difference?
Happiness is created from external moments or experiences such as being on vacation, buying a house, getting a raise, being with family or friends, seeing your favorite band in concert, etc…
Joy is internal. It is a result of inner peace and satisfaction and can be felt when you are alone.
Allow me to elaborate:
Have you ever said something like the following:
I will be happy when: I am out of debt, I retire, I lose the weight, I make the money, I find a partner, I buy the boat, land my next deal, am laying on the beach with a margarita, etc…?
The truth is YES you will be happy when those things happen, however, happiness is always short lived because it relies on those external moments. JOYFUL people create the feeling of happiness internally which makes their experience in life within their control.
Getting out of debt, for example, could take a long time and without understanding how to implement joy into your life until that happens – you could experience sadness, anger, anxiety and even depression from the debt.
I can always tell from talking to people if they are the “waiting for happiness” type or if they are living in joy. Conversations with joyful people are filled with smiles and laughs and positivity no matter if they have a mountain of debt.
Here are some tips on how to enjoy life in a state of joy until your next happy moment or experience occurs.
- When negative or fearful thoughts present themselves immediately crush them. We cannot control those negative thoughts coming up, but we CAN control how long we allow them to stay around.
- Focus only on the things you can control, as opposed to, the things you cannot control.
- Focus on what you have (Gratitude), as opposed to, what you do not have
- Let go of expectation. When we expect things from others, and they do not follow through who suffers more – You or them? Generally, you.
- Incorporate at least 30 minutes of something positive into your day. Either from a book, or You Tube or Audible or a positive person that you like to talk to.
- Hang around positive people. Be careful who you surround yourself with. Their energy is contagious.
- Have faith. Faith and fear are both beliefs of the future. Fear comes from the subconscious brain which is the part of the brain you do not control and cannot be trusted. Faith comes from the conscious brain which is the part of the brain that YOU control. Faith can be trusted.
Is it possible to live in a constant state of joy? No. Unfortunately, we are human, therefore, we have real reactions to things. It is ok to have those reactions. It is not ok to stay there. Take a minute to feel it and then move on.
Are you currently a person who waits for happiness or a person who creates their own joy?
Your Life Coach – Traci