The other day, an old friend called me from North Carolina. Although it’s been decades since we last talked, within a few minutes the conversation warmed and we once again shared from our hearts.
One of the items he talked about concerned finding joy in his life. His comment started me thinking about the topic.
First, there is a HUGE difference between “Doing what makes you happy” and experiencing joy. Joy is typically a good thing, yet doing what makes you happy soon gets you into trouble.
Joy gives you a sense of purpose and state of bliss, while the making yourself happy is temporary. It is more than ironic that happiness and happenings share the same root word. Happiness often depends on events and being entertained.
Confusing the two leads to wrong priorities and you chasing after the wrong things. It’s at those times, you find yourself asking the question, “Why wasn’t I enough?”
With joy, you seek fulfillment by means of deepening and improving your relationship. With making you happy, you seek a temporary stimulation.
In modern society, there are enough pressures without adding the confusion of seeking happiness and calling it joy. When you make this mistake, you chase after someone else to put a smile on your face and give you a sense of fulfillment.
The disappointment is that it’s never enough. You want more and more of them fulfilling you, rather than a relationship being developed to its full potential.
In the e-book, “Why Wasn’t I Enough?” I address many of the challenges that come from wrong focus in relationships. Rather than wandering around lost, you can instead, download it and start taking action on important areas in your life.
Keeping It Real,
Jeff
