Don't Be Happy

Well, if you have to choose between the pursuit of happiness and the pursuit of joy, I'd just say NO to happiness.

Happiness is a transient state that arrives when conditions we desire are met.  "I'll be happy when I find my soulmate."  "Once I finally get promoted to Vice President of Dinglehoppers, I'll be happy."  "I'll be fine once I get it."  At that luscious moment when your condition is met, when your goal is reached, when your dream comes true, you feel happy.  A glow of elation.  You're drunk with the satisfaction of your goal fulfillment.  Finally, you're happy!

What happens next?

Do you find that even after your promotion to VP of Dinglehoppers, you want more?  Suddenly it seems like life would be so much better once you got promoted to SVP of Thingamabobs.  Have you noticed that once you get whatever you wanted, you want something else?  For most of us, happiness becomes a memory, even if the thing we had wanted is still there!  Our minds find even better contingencies to meet for even more happiness.

The pursuit of happiness is neverending.  And a neverending pursuit is futile.  

What's the alternative?  Joy.  

The great thing about joy is that you don't need to meet any conditions to feel it.  You can feel joy anytime.  The nature of the still spirit inside us is joyful.  You may recall feeling joy when witnessing something miraculous,  seeing a puppy frolick, or immersing yourself in nature.  But joy is not even dependent on these lovely experiences.  If you find yourself in a calm place where you are connected to the awareness always within you, you can notice that there is joy within you as well.  For no reason!  It is a bubbling up of love from within you, without any cause.  Joy comes from being rooted in the present moment.  Joy is the sensation of your spirit being lifted once you uncover it from the heavy weight of your thoughts and beliefs.

My mind has conditions to be met and wants happiness, over and over.  My spirit has joy and wants nothing more, ever.