soul

Happiness Vs Joy

The 3 things you need to know!

When you think about the words happiness or joy many people feel warm thoughts and a smile appears on their faces just by the mention of the words. They experience thoughts of pleasant places and possibly people during better times. Most people use the words interchangeably when in fact they have very different meanings.

Let us look at both words. According to Dictionary.com

Happiness – The quality or state of being happy. Good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

Joy – The emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation:

I would like to suggest that both words are connected, however when you think about where the feeling originates, that happiness is a result of an external influence:

When she received the flowers, she was very happy.

Now let us consider where the feeling of joy originates from a more internal place. A place that resonates with you on a deeper, even spiritual level:

“The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy.” Jim Rohn

So what would increase your happiness or joy? The answer to this question for most people resides in the emotional balance of body, mind and spirit. Here are 3 things you can explore to increase your happiness and joy.

Top 3 ways to improve emotional balances:

1) Taking Charge.

2) Leverage Your Time.

3) Identify & Avoid Life Blockers.

Taking charge

You are in a place where you deserve to be happy. Yes, you deserve to enjoy your life on your own terms, but happiness only happens when you take charge of the things that are important to you. Don’t allow others to fully dictate the elements in your path to what you really want. Including your health (what you choose to eat), wealth and relationships.

Leverage Your Time

The most underutilized, this skill to achieving happiness and joy, which is the power of choice. You may be asking yourself what do you mean I under utilize my power of choice. Well, I am glad you asked…

When you over use your credit cards not realizing that this is not money in your account, but someone else’s money and you are borrowing with a high interest for that privilege.

Not seeking methods to reducing the fees you pay on all the accounts you hold.

Last but not least, most people do not realize what is the biggest expense you paid. Most believe it to be their car, home or even education when in fact it is your taxes you pay each month. Do not believe, subtract your net pay from you gross and compare you other expenses.

So you may be allowing others to dictate where you live, what vacations you take and what education you can afford.

Identify & Avoid Life Blockers

a) Stress
b) Self-Perception

Stress

The greatest thief to happiness and joy is stress. Now stress is a subject unto itself. Now the study into meditation has clinically proven that 10 minutes a day will open up a pathway in your brain to balance stress in your life. Many people stress over money, so track where your money is going. For 30 days write down all purchases in a small notebook.

Self-Perception

It has been said that birds of a feather flock together. It has also been said that a person’s personality is made up of the top 5 people you choose to spend your time with. What is the quality level of your friends? Is anyone blocking your growth? Sometimes to achieve a greater level of happiness and joy could be as simple as making the choice to change the people you are around and be careful to include people who are going in the same direction in life you want to go. So let us explore how you share your life.

Face time vs Facebook (Engaging in drive by friendships) quiz

*Quiz:

I prefer to text or email rather than make a phone call or have a face-to-face interaction. T or F

I have hundreds of friends on social media but rarely make plans with them in real-life. T or F

I rely on social media to learn about major moments in my friends’ and family’s lives (i.e. engagements, new jobs, births, etc.). T or F

I rarely call on friends or family when I feel sad or depressed. T or F

When it comes to celebrating, I wouldn’t feel comfortable inviting the majority of my friends on social media to a party. T or F

If you said “True” to at least three questions, this indicates that you could be lonely. Social media could be one of the main reasons why because it gives the illusion that you are

connected with others even though there is no physical or verbal contact. Try using your social media accounts as a tool to help you get together with your friends and family face-to-face to make yourself happier.

Your happiness and joy is a series of small decisions culminating into a great life. Be sure to share your journey for the greatest results.

*The quiz and reply came for the Dr. Oz show aired on 9/13/16

We could show you how to leverage your time, reduce your stress and increase your income… Learn More!