Joy and Happiness


“Baby steps count, as long as you are going forward. You add them all up, and one day you look back and you’ll be surprised.” Chris Gardner. A few minutes ago I just finished watching one of my favorite movies of all time and it still gets me as much as it did the first time. For me "The pursuit of happyness" which stars Will Smith and his kid is truly one of the most inspirational works of art I have ever seen. It raises a lot of questions on the "HAPPINESS" issue. What does it truly mean to be happy ? The question has a variety of answers which may include :
  • Being surrounded by the ones you love
  • Being wealthy
  • Finding true love
  • Getting your dream job
  • Travelling the world e.t.c


All these answers are true to a certain extent though the question that arises from them is: So is it impossible to be truly happy if you don't have all these things ? Heath Ledger was once quoted to have said "Everyone you meet always asks if you have a career, are married, or own a house as if life was some kind of grocery list...But no one ever asks you if you are happy" To me this felt like a challenge to society's very definition of happiness which seems to be somehow attached to the material or to someone else other than one's self. I think everyone wants to be happy deep down inside and have their perfect image of what happiness truly looks like to them. From all I have seen happiness seems to be something that is externally triggered and comes from a variety of different factors which means you can have all the money and all the friends and family and still lack happiness. There surely is something more consistent that can make life worth living which doesn't bank on the external environment.

 Happiness is something we feel about our situation or circumstance and the world tells us that we can only be happy if the situation is right.  Romans 15 vs 3 says "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit" The scripture here talks about joy which is something that comes from within and has no external influence. I strongly believe that joy is happiness that does not depend on any external factors. Joy is a choice as opposed to happiness which is a result. I think it is time we detach ourselves from all the negatives of the world and just feel and pour out the joy within us and only the can we truly say we are happy.

The verse that really stood out for me this week is Proverbs 17 vs 22 "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones". I hope you have a blessed week and remain joyful in all things you do. Stay safe and Thank God its Monday 

Comments

  1. Unknown17 May 2020 at 21:37

    Thank you surely happiness comes from within i choose to be happy always

    ReplyDelete
  2. benhilda dhladhla29 May 2020 at 08:51

    thank you for this

    ReplyDelete

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