Over these many years of learning to discern in great conversations with friends, others have taught me the distinction between joy and happiness. It's something you have to learn and relearn to continue understanding better and better. I have a little of a handle on it by now:
Happiness is good, but it’s not the end-all, be-all.
I can think of plenty of times when I feel happy. I’m happy when my favorite teams win, like a Chicago Cubs victory. I’m happy when I enjoy a favorite meal — like a fine Chipotle burrito. I’m happy when I get a restful, solid night’s sleep. There’s nothing wrong with feeling happy!
The potential problem is if I stake my whole welfare on these types of things. What if the Cubs and my other favorite teams lose? What if I’m traveling or staying somewhere where my favorite foods are unavailable? What if I need to stay up late or get up early for some important reason? My happiness potentially decreases in these circumstances. If my life is too dependent on finding happiness from such externals, then things can get rocky. There’s some conventional wisdom that suggests the purpose of life is to be happy, but this is risky business.Continue reading over at Grotto Network, and I definitely recommend tossing them into your social feeds on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
