Joy and Happiness

Joy is quite distinct from happiness. Joy or pleasure has its shock value: it owes to the very surprise element it carries; but has not the power to make you forget the passing hour. Joy of being promoted to lead the school team in cricket is over even before the last match played out. Why must it be so? Making the players perform up to scratch and working out a successful strategy is work and often a thankless job. Any captain worth his salt shall not sit back to enjoy the initial sense of joy but get down to work. Joy must earn her keep. In the minutiae of what makes success she has no place.
Whereas happiness goes far deeper: as a tree that has dug deep in. It has found secret reservoirs of springs in the depths by which it can stand the drought which sweeps across the land; in times of winter its sap merely settles down to winter sleep while leaves turn red and gold; come spring the tree shakes itself up and with renewed vigor shoots forth leaves, buds and all. Happiness is the positive strategy that a life form adopts, from resources within and in the interaction with other life forms in any given environment. To sum happiness is that state one is at one with the mystery of the universe.
benny