Choosing Joy

It is said that joy is of the soul whereas happiness is of the moment. Joy is something grander than happiness and the meaning of joy is the emotion evoked by well-being.

Self-acceptance and gratitude are the cornerstones of living a Joyful life. We cannot jumpstart with Okay, I'll start being more appreciative now. It must involve a change in everyday behaviour rather than merely an attitude change. We need to start adopting gratifying habits. We are more receptive to delight when we focus on the positives and the things we already have. And when we make a habit of being grateful every day, we become more tolerant of negative events that occur in our lives and around us.

Joyful Living is an art

It takes effort to have a joyful life. The tendency of our natural selves is to dwell on all of the wrongdoings, injustices, and hurtful words and deeds. All the ways that others have let us down and all the ways we have let ourselves down. Everything in our lives will either increase or decrease our delight. But when we decide to live a life of "Joyful Living," we have the power to reject all of those accusations.

We have the capacity to evaluate the events and circumstances in our lives and make improvements. When we make changes, we could get rid of those burdens from our lives, which makes us more receptive to enjoying life. When we experience delight, we should embrace it to the fullest, regardless of how big or small, and instead of immediately focusing on what may go wrong, we should allow ourselves to rejoice in joy and acknowledge it for what it is.

Difference between Happiness and Joy

Our surroundings affect our level of happiness but Joy is what is within us. When we make the decision to live a life of joy, we make the decision to transcend our circumstances. Though both joy and happiness are quite positive and give us wonderful feelings and we enjoy the rush of optimism that rushes through our veins, yet happiness depends on things going our way. It is circumstantial.

Contrarily, joy is a deeper inner glitter that will always be present, regardless to the circumstances. The way our favourite music uplifts our spirits, the wonders of nature, poignant memories, faith on the higher power, being appreciative for our blessings, learning something new, caring for others and the relationships with the people we love, contributing to something positive, generosity and giving, these joys and many others can all be found in countless such intangible ways which does not dependent on circumstances.

Joyful living is a state of mind

Living with joy is a condition of mind. It is not the total of all the choices we make; rather, it is the total of all the responses we have to those choices. We have the option to put past decisions and their results behind us and live a life of joy. We have the option to let go of the petty, resentful, and angry feelings. We can CHOOSE joy.