Great post on the difference between feeling happy and being happy. Wishing all my friends a day filled happy feelings.
I think feeling happy is a bit different to being happy. Maybe this is because when you simply are happy (because your bank account, love-life, health, job, family and friends etc. are all okay) you don’t notice the happiness; you don’t appreciate it. But when you feel happy, you are noticing the fragile edges, blossoms, and sunsets of whatever happiness is and you are learning how to create it day by day by day.
Today, my happiness was hugging my baby peacock, having lunch at an Indian restaurant with my friend/niece, Jane, buying baking utensils for my new cooking phase, watching TV with Anthony in the nursing lodge whilst giving him the last of the sticky date pudding with lots of thickened cream, knowing my ma will be home soon from Scotland, riding my bike, watching ‘Undercover Boss’ with Ming, and looking forward to tomorrow’s unfolding.
The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap 
Thanks for reblogging this great post. There are so many little daily things to pay attention to that can enhance the joy factor in ones life. 🙂
Yes, the daily little things aren’t so little after all. 🙂
So beautiful – picture and sentiment! 🙂
Yes. 🙂
She helps keeps me focused on what matters.
Those are my sentiments as well, Colleen. 🙂
Great subject… which leads me to ask… Does not one first have to be happy to feel happy, or if you like to understand and connect with the true feeling of happiness? Otherwise this is a bit like, which comes first the chicken or the egg…feeling happy, or being happy. As I said great subject. JJ
Great question. I “think” that fundamentally happiness exists in all of us, waiting to be triggered and realized, why else would there be chemicals of happiness (serotonin and endorphins, etc.). But, this does not mean we walk around happy all the time, because there also exists the triggers for stress (adrenaline and cortisone) that implant memories of suffering that down our moods and emotions. Very complex situation. All that said, I’ve been blessed with an illness that taught me to appreciate this living breathing miraculous moment because there are no guarantees for anything else. And, in this moment what can I make my attitude, what can I pay attention to, and what chemicals in my body can I stimulate to help me out? I know ultimately I have no control over any of it, but as I learn and relearn, I can try to change my conditioning toward more awareness in this living breathing moment by paying attention to what my senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, etc.) bring to me. Thank you for this most stimulating discourse, my friend.
Thank you for responding so eloquently, and putting into words the kind of thoughts that was running thru my mind, such as being and or feeling happy interrupted by illness, death of a close one, all kinds of losses, and for all the reasons you list, and then some.
Being and feeling happy is not a fixed or stable emotion in us. It comes and goes, gets lost and gets found, and is forever mobile. In a way that makes it alive and exciting, and always out there to had and taken.
I expected my question might trigger some elaboration from my good friend Paulette, on this most interesting major element of life. Et voilà ! JJ
Oui.
This made me happy to see a male and female peacock in comparison to the Naramata story I posted. Have a happy day to you too, Paulette.
Yes, made me happy as well. 🙂
Reading this post made me smile. Thanks, Paulette.
It’s definitely a make you smile post. So simple, yet so wonderfully powerful. 🙂
THAT is an amazing thought Paulette! Thanks to you, I got to read it 🙂
Thank you so much. You made my sunday!
I’m so glad you got to see it. And, I agree with that about it. In the backdrop of the life Julie, (the woman who wrote it over at jmgoyder blogsite) is living it’s even more remarkable and holds a lot of meaning for me. Great perspective to be aware of, that’s for sure. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this, P! Hope you’ve been well, lots of love, Christy
Hey Christy, So happy you popped by. All’s well this and and sure do hope the same with you. Big smooches and cyber hugs to you. P
Thanks for the reblog P!
Such a lovely post!
My pleasure. Sure was a lovely post. 🙂