What is Joy?

During a discussion I was leading, I complimented a young woman’s sweater that read “Be Happy” and asked the group what happiness meant to them. Was it different from joy? The discussion centered around things that give happiness: seeing a movie, receiving a surprise party or the gift of a floral bouquet. All of the things mentioned were externally driven. Then one person said, “But joy is internal. Joy comes from within us and is not dependent on outside forces.”

The poem, “Joy” by Hilda Conkling expresses this insight well. 

Joy is not a thing you can see.
It is what you feel when you watch waves breaking, 
Or when you peer through a net of woven violet stems
In Spring grass.
It is not sunlight, not moonlight, 
but a separate shining.
Joy lives behind people’s eye.
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​If you would like to share your own thoughts and reflections, I would love to hear how you differentiate between joy and happiness.

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