I will admit … when I got the topic for the month here at The Girl Who Knows there was a moment of confusion.

Joy. “How is Joyfulness any different than happiness?” So being the good student (read: nerd) that I am, I looked it up in the dictionary. And of course as I started with one word, I went down the rabbit hole with other words.

Joyfulness– Feeling, causing, or indicating joy.

Joy – Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness. Or the expression or manifestation of such feeling.

Happiness – Enjoying, showing, or marked by pleasure, satisfaction, or joy.

Pleasure – The state or feeling of being pleased or gratified.Or a source of enjoyment or delight.

Satisfaction – The fulfillment or gratification of a desire, need, or appetite. Pleasure or contentment derived from such gratification.

Basically Joy is Happiness on crack!
And happiness is feeling fulfilled, delighted, pleased and oh what a surprise, we go back to source … Joy!

Now for the fun part, pulling a Tarot Card to see a different side of Joy and Joyfulness.

THE NINE OF SWORDS

Now I know this is a disturbing looking card but the message here is to not worry or stress. That anxiety is what drains us of our innate ability to experience peace and pleasure and security.

What I get from this is Joyfulness is being free of stress and anxiety and how I feel this is reiterated is by pulling ANOTHER card.

THE DEVIL

Again, this is stressing the importance of feeling FREE. In every way. Free of stress, free of the past, free of pain, free of worry, free of expectations and assumptions.

Joyfulness is FREEDOM!

So this month, when you are running around getting all stressed and anxious and crazy, remember to rid yourself of anything that is having you feel constrained or bound or confined. Focus on personal freedom and through that you will experience joy . . . aka happiness times twenty! 😉

xo
Natalie

Main photo by Kyknoord via Flickr