LIFE WITH JOY AND HAPPINESS

“When one door of Happiness closes, another opens;
But often we look so long at the closed door,
that we do not see the one which has opened for us”.

This statement recorded by the great American blind/deaf author, Helen Keller, has always impressed me by the simplicity of the words and the power of the message. Far too often we miss the opportunity to share in joy and happiness because we fail the see the obvious.

The terms Joy and Happiness are generally used interchangeably, but they are different. Happiness is an emotional response which is directly related to, and precipitated by current occurrences. Joy is an attitude which influences your behavior and is not related or dependant on current events. Someone once creatively described this difference in the following terms:

“Happiness is the road we travel, Joy is the destination”

Whatever the difference however, the emotional state of Happiness is one which we all strive to achieve and maintain throughout our lives. We spend much of our waking hours thinking how to be happy and to avoid anything that might interfere with it. The truth is that happiness is not easily achieved and even more difficult to hold on. We all look forward to a time when we can finally achieve “lasting happiness”, but that never comes. It is far better to
learn to develop the deeper experience of Joy, which requires an individual to focus away from self and more toward others. Without this, happiness will always remain fleeting and short lived.
Throughout the ages, in all the cultures and all the civilizations, happiness has been the most sought after and reported emotion. The Ancient Chinese held it in highest regard, associating it with the highest standards of behavior. Mencius in 2300BC described the feeling of intoxicating joy if one celebrates the practice of the great virtues. The Greek philosophers were even more preoccupied with the pursuit of happiness as a central theme of life. Aristotle(350BC) described Happiness as the only thing humans desire for its own sake. Every other possession, including riches, honor, health and friendship are sought not for their own sake but in order to achieve happiness. He insisted that happiness is a core purpose for human life. Thomas Jefferson, in his deliberations leading up to the preparation of the Declaration of Independence, specifically identified the importance of happiness when he wrote:

“The care of human life and happiness, and not its destruction,
Is the first and only legitimate object of good government”.

Happiness holds a very central and vital role in all the major religions. Christians teach that true happiness can only be achieved from a genuine relationship with God and that the ultimate end of human existence is the reward of infinite happiness in the Kingdom of God.
Islam teaches that real happiness and peace can only be found in submitting to the commands of Allah the Creator and the Sustainer of this world. In Buddhism, the central theme is the State of Nirvana where the aim of practitioner is to achieve freedom from suffering, everlasting peace and ultimate happiness. In all of them, happiness is regarded as the ultimate reward of the true believer.

In the end, the pursuit of happiness is at once the most universal and most personal goal of every one of us. How, and to what extent we achieve it, depends on a multitude of factors, many of which beyond our control. There is ample evidence in support of an inherited component in the genetic make-up of the individual, as there is in the underlying personality type and the direct effect of parental and social influences. But ultimately true happiness is a very personal experience that cannot be defined or characterized. It is your individual stamp that tells the world that all is well. In a way it is an outward manifestation of an inner feeling of contentment with the world and your life. In a most fundamental sense it is a reflection of your current state of mind exposed for the whole world to see. It cannot be transferred nor can it be taught, but it often can function as a model that others can copy.

In this context I can do no better than to quote from the great Roman poet and author Horace(Quintus Horatius Flaccus) on man's search for happiness:

"You may traverse the world in search of happiness

when it is within the reach of every man.

A contented mind confers on all".

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The word "happiness" would lose its meaning,
if it were not balanced by sadness.
……Carl Jung

Happiness is not having what you want.
It is wanting what you have.
…….Author Unknown

Joy is prayer, Joy is strength, Joy is love
. …….Mother Teresa

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
………… Dalai Lama

Happiness is not a goal;
it is a by-product.…… Eleanor Roosevelt,

A thing of beauty is a Joy forever.
…….John Keats

Joy is not in “things”; It is within Us!
…..Sarah Ban Breathnack

Happiness is like a butterfly which when pursued, is always beyond your grasp;
But if you sit down quietly may alight upon you.
…….Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Happiness is like a kiss. You must share it to enjoy it.
….Bernard Meltzer

The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.
…….Eric Hoffer

You cannot always have happiness, but you can always give happiness.
……Author Unknown

Happiness is when what you think, what you say,

and what you do are in harmony.
…….Mohandas Gandhi

The Joy of a spirit is the measure of it’s power.
……Ninon de Lenclos

To get the full value of Joy,
You must have somebody to share it with.
…….Mark Twain.

Joy is too exquisite to last,
And yet, is more exquisite when passed.
.......James Montgomery.