The very words are exciting and uplifting. We are all looking for more joy and happiness in our lives. Yet, from the spiritual perspective, joy and happiness are not the same things! Joy is of the spirit while happiness is part of our human experience. You might say that happiness is a stepping stone to joy. Happiness is a reaction to positive experiences in your life. When something goes well, naturally you feel happy – and rightfully so. Yet at the same time, you must remember that happiness is conditional. What can make you happy one minute can make you sad the next. If you have the things you want, you are happy. If you don’t, you can be sad or despondent.

Joy, on the other hand, is not dependent on any external conditions. Joy is a perpetual condition of the spirit. When you are in your true joy state, you can be joyful even when physical conditions are terrible. You can express joy at any time because you can always tap into your spiritual life. In the aura, happiness is seen as a light pink energy while joy is seen as a richer, almost fuschia pink.