I have recently been contemplating what the difference is between joy and happiness. Thich Nhat Hanh once wrote, “A physician who accurately understands her patient’s condition does not sit and obsess over a thousand different explanations or anxieties as the patient’s family might. The doctor knows that the patient will recover, and so she may smile even while the patient is still sick. Her smile is not unkind; it is simply the smile of one who grasps the situation and does not engage in unnecessary worry.” Whew! I must admit, I have had my fair share of unnecessary worry throughout my life. Although there have been times when I knew that all would be well, I would sit with my anxieties and unnecessary worry as they tried to take my smile away.

I have been told by so many people, “your smile brings me life – it is contagious – it truly shows that you enjoy what you do.” Certainly I can say that I smile because of the deep joy that I have inside of me. However, to be honest, there are times when I simply can’t smile. That’s when my smile cuts through the anxieties, the unnecessary worry, the fears to elicit a sense of joy once again.

What about that person that tries to heap injustice upon you? Does that person get to rob you of your joy? Earlier this week, I was sharing with my son that sometimes in life people say and do mean things in an effort to make themselves feel better. They also do these things in an effort to rob us of our joy. However, Thich Nhat Hanh would challenge us to look upon these people with love and compassion. “Let compassion pour from your eyes and don’t let a ripple of blame or anger rise up in your heart. He commits senseless crimes against you and makes you suffer because he cannot see the way to peace, joy, or understanding.” Oh man that seems so impossible to do in reality. We often allow our joy to be robbed, and we often resort to opposition as our inner defense mechanisms kick start. It’s in those moments when we need to smile and let compassion and love wash over and through us.