Are joy and happiness the same thng?

Joy and happiness are often interchanged with one another. However, these two very similar concepts are not the same, although they sometimes can feel as though they are. Happiness is an emotion that can be fleeting and short-term. It can come from internal and external factors but, it tends to be more motivated and caused by external factors and circumstances.

Joy is more of a long-term state of being. It is more driven by internal circumstances such as the achievement of self-actualization (the realization of one’s potential) and self-discovery.  Happiness, in most circumstances, is more easily obtained than joy. Joy often requires intention and concentration. It takes the setting of goals, the organization and self-awareness of one’s thoughts and how those thoughts influence a person’s current ability to function, and internal exploration of how adversities have interfered with one’s ability to achieve a state of joy. Typically, obtaining joy involves investing time and energy into the following areas of one’s life: perspective, gratitude, acceptance of self, acceptance of life circumstances, forgiveness, and compassion.

Perspective is very important in achieving joy because of continually reevaluating one’s life and what improvements can be made. It can help a person recognize how they want to be treated by others and make them more mindful of how they treat others. Gratitude can help someone see the positive aspects of their life rather than focusing on the things they “want for.” Someone can experience satisfaction and joy more easily when they are more focused on what they have in their lives and what those contribute to their overall well-being.

Acceptance of self is key to joy because it reinforces certain circumstances about oneself that they cannot control and, instead, need to learn how to be in a place of radical acceptance rather than resisting or prolonging suffering.  The same concept applies to the acceptance of life circumstances.  A common theory in various therapy modalities (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, 
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) is that acceptance of life circumstances is a key component to recognizing that one is not in control of certain factors and that the pursuit of control only yields suffering. 

Forgiveness is sometimes described as a state of being where someone has let go of the possibility of a better past.  This means acknowledging that some of the people who have been harmful in the past need to be forgiven for joy to occur. Finally, compassion is key because it allows people to experience empathy for themselves and others in their life.  Even during times of turmoil, the ability to access compassion can make it easier to let go of aggression and judgments and create a more joyful existence.