That's Fit

There is a distinct difference between joy and happiness. Joy is a state of being -- a consciousness, while happiness is an emotion or feeling. When we live in a state of joy, we may experience moments of frustration or happiness but we never lack in the basic experience of joy. According to Martha Beck, contributing editor of Oprah.com, "To go on the Joy Diet, you add certain simple behaviors to your daily routine, practices that will improve your life whether you're feeling just a bit dreary or utterly confined to the pits. Feasting (Joy Diet-style) means adding an element of attention and structure to events that otherwise might slip by as too ordinary for comment. Doing this can turn the most ordinary situations into celebration."

Feasting is rarely, if ever, about food. "Feasting" is actually about fully indulging in the joie de la vie. But, when it comes to food, the Joy Diet does have two strict rules:

1. You must eat only what you really enjoy.
2. You must really enjoy everything you eat.

Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday and Thursday!

Joy and happiness--aren't they really one in the same? Actually, they are not. Joy is a state of being, while happiness is a mood. Our state of being is the consciousness that we live in. A mood is a fleeting emotion we experience ... it is a feeling.

Awakening our joy to find happiness is all about shifting our consciousness to a place of joy. When we live in joy, happiness is abundant in our lives even when life does not seem to be going our way. The basic principle of quantum physics states that what we intend to find always shows up. Applying quantum physics to our lives simply means creating intentions and then expecting those intentions to show up. If you want to live in joy, you must start with the intention of living in joy. So ... how do we do that?

Robert Holden, Ph.D., author of Happiness Now! Timeless Wisdom for Feeling Good Fast and director of the Happiness Project in the United Kingdom suggests the following:

• Writing what the word joy means to you
• Doing some form of physical movement -- such as yoga, dance, or walking -- a few times a week
• Making a "nourishment list" of activities you enjoy, checking off those you do regularly and circling the ones that could be done more often
• Checking in with your "joy buddy," a kind of running partner in the pursuit of happiness

While this may seem a little corny at first, when you begin to feel your consciousness, or state of being, shift into a state of on-going joy, you will begin to awaken each day to happiness. A happy and joyful life is truly a beautiful life.