Differences between Happiness and Joy - Do you know?

Consider below statement:

“As long as I am happy, I do no evil or nothing against law, I am clear conscience to my soul, I will live without regrets each day!” 

In contemporary society, many will think that the above statement is so true. Is it really true?

Happiness

Everyone wants to be happy. We make chasing this elusive ideal of happiness a lifelong pursuit.

We work hard to earn, and after we earn, we either spent it on ourselves or on others. We collect things and constantly search for new experiences to satisfy our desires.

But happiness depends on circumstances. A child can be happy when he or she has a new toy. But what happens when toys rust or the toy become old and not longer satisfies the child? The child is always looking for something new to satisfy him or herself.

You can be happy during the moment when you are partying, eating and drinking excessive alcohol. However the next day, you may have a hangover, or stomach problems. And it may appear that you have found your Mr./Mrs. Right by outward appearance, only for time to let you discover how the inward self is the key for a long-term joyful relationship. 

Then there are things beyond your control that makes you really unhappy. You can be the most honest and person of integrity and dignity, but when things beyond your control take place, you will still feel extremely unhappy. For instance, health deteriorates, love ones die, money lost, and party is over?

Often happiness flees and despair sets in.

Therefore happiness is somewhat temporary and based on circumstances. It is like something that requires self-effort, self-will and constant self-seeking desires each time and again to attain.

On our lips we always claim we “will be happy” or “as long as we are happy” can liao, yet how many realize that “Happiness” is something not permanent.

Joy

In contrast to happiness stands joy. Running deeper and stronger, joy is the quiet, confident assurance of love and work in our lives by a supernatural force. Joy is the abundance of love, care and comfort and it does not depend on what happens in this world.

It is something inward. It is permanent and eternal expresses through our heart. A heart that is right! It is liken to be a gift to us. In contrast the so-called “happiness” we are chasing for, requires the constantly search new things or experiences to fulfill our desires, intellectual or emotions.

How to have Joy?

So how to have joy? I humbly lay down the below points to ponder.

Love

The need for love overflowing more and more and that we keep growing in knowledge and understanding of the truth! The truth that is circumcised in our heart and display in works and in spirit to people around us. And not just by putting on the lips or just going to a place with brick and mortar.

Righteousness

Have a righteous character that lives pure and blameless not just for the sake of yourself or your family, but also to neighbors and strangers. And not just saying that I abide by the law, do no harm to others that I am great. Or if did we only realise that good education grades is so important that we forget about character building in a person?

Not for myself alone

Many think to break the law is a big sin. But how many of us realize that a bigger unwritten sin - the love of self and pride within us, which leads to all sorts of problem in today’s world. Do not be selfish, do not try to impress, be humble, thinking of others as better than you. Do not look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too. Do not have selfish ambition, insincerity and have false motives.

Unity

Agree wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Be united in body, soul and spirit.

Wisdom, knowledge and anticipation

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean and innocent, yet wise and knowledgeable, shining like bright lights in world full of crooked and ambitiously wicked people. With the gifts of wisdom and knowledge and ability to discern the good from the evil, you will be able to see into the future and be prudent. 

Do not conform to this world

Do not copy the behavior of this world and see things only the norm or public can see to reap temporary reward by being selfish or wicked. Instead be kind and see the light into the future for you will receive thirty, sixty or hundreds folds in due time to come. Be patient.

Be bold and have no fear

Do not be intimidated in any way by your enemies. Do not fret because of the evildoers, nor be envious of the reward of the wicked. Gain confidence and bodily speaks the truth without fear.   

Be labourers awaiting patiently to reap the harvest

Sowed goodness, be patience, and you will reap and receiving multi-folds of wages, and gather fruits for eternal life. Laziness is a sin. Do not just hear the good news. Learn and understand and do and declare good works in glory and let it multiply so that others can also enjoy the fruits.

Be contended

Give thanks with a grateful heart and learn to be contented with whatever you have.

Beware of false teachers

Beware of those who teach others but do not teach themselves. They teach you not to steal, but they steal from you secretly. They easily deceived you because you open door for them, due to your own greediness and desires of worldly pleasures. These are the false teachers who also perform miracles for you to be rich and successful and yet blinded with the worldly pleasures. So much so that it is just the beginning of the sorrows that is going to steal, kill, divide and destroy you and your family eventually.

Do not pin hopes on human leaders

Do not hold too high a confidence in human shepherds to take charge of your life or even to take charge of your nation. They are unable to do it, no matter how much promises they lay down to you on their lips. The problems of this world is too huge for a president, for a government to tackle. Therefore filled our hearts with the love peace and joy, so that we shower it to others and help people in need. 

Be spiritual wealthy

Be spiritually wealthy with outpouring compassion to others seeking righteousness in life, rather than materialistically wealth with self-seeking indulgence. Live in spirit and walk in spirit.

Faith and hope

Put on the breastplate of faith and helmet of hope in life. We will be given strength to perform miracles beyond our wildest imagination.

Do not worry

Do not worry too much about your life. Do not worry also about what you eat or what you will drink, nor about the luxurious house you stay, nor how you will look or wear outwardly, nor what job you have, nor what stocks you own, nor the eagerness of achieving financial freedom. The seeking of one freedom (financial) leads to the enslavement of another without you yourself knowing.  

For tomorrow will worry about its own things as we live today with righteousness, love and peace. All things will then taken care by itself supernaturally with overflowing joy tomorrow and for eternal.

Latest Updates - Portfolio, Market and Life (The Good and Bad News)

It's been more than three weeks since my last post. This is probably one of the longest breaks between posts for me since I started blogging in Mar 2014. Perhaps, it will be the case going forward at least for a while. To start, let us recapitulate the last update on my portfolio, market and life, here. 

Portfolio Brief 

Very similar to last update except I further disposed more stocks to accumulate cash during this period. Super Group acquisition news and GLP rumored sale caused their stock prices to surge and I took opportunity to offload. 

Bad news

I also accepted substantial % losses in Overseas Edu as I see no sign of short-term recovery in the International School market. The worst news of all is my stake in Swissco (trading halt now). Mentally, I am prepared for total loss.

Good news

I am feeling very comfortable now with less than 10% (current value) of my total portfolio holding in stocks. Very little action and likely to remain the same in the short term. 

Work 

Bad news

It needs no explanation of the market as almost all companies within the sectors are struggling. There are no sight of the bottom yet even after two years of plummeted oil price. 

I speak with confidence that more than half of the people I know working the industry have already left. It is almost entering a state of depression now, as many people I know in the industry are feeling so stressful and fearful to lose their jobs. It does not matter how hard you work, because there are simply only a handful of projects.

Good news

I too am being demoralized. Nonetheless, I try not to succumb to fear and worries of losing the rice bowl. Those who follow my blog for a while know that the pessimistic and prudent views I taken since last year definitely help me to prepare myself financially and mentally. In these times of uncertainty, a well constructed plan B need to be in place so that a new career endeavor can be activated if plan A fails. That said, I shall not leave to my own will, but for things to happen by itself, if it does happen. 

Market

Good news 

Things still does not look so bad on the surface with no sign of crashing. Wait a minute.... this article is actually drafted before Trump’s victory!

The STI did shave off a tad % after Trump’s triumph, but it quickly rise again. Signs of optimism? Anyway, I am not extremely perturbed by Trump’s victory. I am neither supporters of him nor Clinton.

Bad news 

Trump’s victory signals the end of TPP. This worries Singapore leaders. A seminar I attended in January this year had Mr. Kishore Mahbubani mentioned the importance of TPP to Singapore. Refer here.

For the market, I take a quite different views compared to many others. I reckon if there are no signs of stock market sharp crashing, instead of something to cheer about by many, it is actually even worse.

In my opinion, the Global Economy is entering into a perilous state that many leaders in this generation will have neither experience nor capability to tackle it effectively. Trump, Clinton or Obama…. Nah! Even Ronald Reagan or Clinton of the past can do very little! Whoever leads, pale in comparison to the big global picture now.

For Singapore, during AFC or GFC we saw a sharp crash to the bottom and the quick recovery. I anticipate it to be different this time! An unusual situation seems imminent, where the entire world economy will be seeing a slow and gradual decline over a prolonged period of time. It appears to me that it will difficult to predict the bottom unlike the last few major economic crises! 

Therefore leaders of all countries are going to find it so tough to cope, and some weaker leaders are likely to make decisions that only appear effective in the short term but catastrophic in the long term. 

I hope not, but we shall see. 

Life 

Bad news

Anyway I had been spending lots of time meeting many friends recently. To my sadness and surprise, there were as many as three divorce cases I heard. 

To add to the woes, two friends are seriously ill without immediate cure, and many are in work and financial related distress and anguish. 

It is almost liken an evil spiritual storm coming like a whirlwind destroying health and family relationships, where just few years ago, people are still cheering for exponential growth of material wealth.  All good things have to come to an end?  

Good news 

Relationships with family and friends are very strong as we (my family) were revealed to the true meaning in life. 

I also had been very happy doing Parent Volunteer work in my child's future potential school, getting to know many nice parents in the process of doing so. 

The spiritual wealth my family experienced lately also overshadowed that of the material wealth. There are indefinitely more love, peace and joy and true freedom in my life, rather than just financial freedom.

The pursuit of financial freedom can often lead us finding one freedom, and yet falling into the enslavement of another without knowing it.

Last and most important of all, a new addition to the family is coming soon. :-)

Good Fruits in Life - The Righteous Way (Part 2)

Earlier in Part 1, I talk about embracing the truth as one aspect of Good Fruits in Life. In this article, I will mention briefly on the path we should take to enjoy the true good fruits.

Desire, discipline and hardwork just a pre-requisite

Very often we hear many successful people saying that we ought to have desire and the discipline to achieve the desired positive result. Yes indeed that these attributes are the pre-requisite of the “Good Fruits” in life. Without desire and discipline, it's like an engine that is obsolete and cannot even start! Then you need hardwork (opposite of laziness), which is aliken to the oil for the engine and the need of forbearance for the engine to drive long distance. Then, with the said factors as pre-requisites, you are ready to start your journey to the kingdom of life.

I am not sure if you realize that sometimes these factors may even just come to you as if you are led by a particular spirit that suddenly “one day” you are totally transformed and becoming suddenly extremely discipline and hardworking on a particular matter. Yes, just like that….

Results matters

Then you start to learn. You learn by reading or from a teacher / instructor. But, strangely, even with all the right mix of attributes of desire, discipline and hardwork, you still NEVER ever seem to get the results you wanted. 

Why? 

Below are few verses I recently told someone close, 

"What is the use of reading and learning, if we do not understand. 

What is the use of understanding if we do not believe and have faith. 

What is the use of believing if we do not do it. 

What is the use of doing, if we do not get results."

So during reading and learning, if you do not understand, don't pretend you do and lie to yourself. Ask more questions and delve and dig deeper! 

Then there will be those who already understand but lack self-beliefs. When you lack faith and self-beliefs normally you will be fearing of failure and tend not to take action. 

Without a doubt, only with action can we get the result. So if you do not take action, where is the result? Review the results and look back again.... 

The righteous path

For any result to be sustainable and fruitful, it needs to achieve via righteousness means. Then it will be a "result" obtained with respect, honor and glory filled with love, peace and joy. 

On the contrary if the result is achieved by unrighteousness, immorality, covetousness, jealousness, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness, haughtiness, self-seeking ambitions, self-glory, dissensions, boastful, proud, bad tongues, backbiters, violent, hatred, indignation, anguish, impartiality, false witness, disobedient to parents, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful etc, then it shall only be short term prosperity and temporary pleasure, for in the long term it is usually extremely destructive! 

False temporary goodness

The kind of result being filled with any one of the aforementioned bad attributes is what I called "False Goodness". Yes, even what you may have think as the non-sinful, self-seeking ambition or jealousness or covetousness etc, it will still result in false goodness leading to undesirable results. 

You do not believe? Just open your heart and eye in unity and take a good look at the people around.

This is extremely important to know, because many people are veiled. It is due to the blindness caused either by ignorance, emotion or greed. Read : Crisis – Is it really useless to know it earlier?

To sum it up "Self-Love" leading to the Love of Money and Pleasures" in this world which is the principal cause of problems.

Read : The root cause of today's world problems! How to be saved?

You can own a huge business or holding high corporate position, wealthy and successful in the eyes of this world. You can even be a powerful Political or Religious figure.

It will not stop the fact that you can be totally blinded from the TRUTH. 

You gain in material wealth and achieve high social status. You did lots of high profile public charity because other rich ones are doing also. You wanted to show public your benevolence side where deep down in your heart, it is the to glory and praises for yourself that you are seeking. You seem to be unaware that TRUE CHARITY is anonymous and low profile. 

You are led by the "evil spirit" controlling your soul and your body. 

Therefore in spite of what you have tangibly, and if the material wealth is achieved via any unrighteousness methods aforesaid, it is undoubtedly that the END LONG TERM RESULT will be ugly. It almost led to bad health of failed relationships or aloofness to the people around you. 

1) Bad health. Sickness surrounds. Fears and worries leading to interrupted sleep or nightmares. Your routine meal is always accompanied by vitamins, supplements and medicines. You thought that you lack exercise and is disciplined to "jog your way out of illness". Unfortunately supplements, medicines and exercise do not help!

2) Soured family relationships. Division with spouse and children rebel against the parents and going astray eventually. Even if children do not rebel openly, they will likely to have lots of problems in their lives that give their parents so many worries. Yes, definitely more problematic than the issues you can face in work.

3) Aloofness. The rose in material wealth also raises pride, that inevitably drifted relationships with genuinely good friends and relatives. You started to have great insecurity due to the wealth you have. You fear that others may take advantage of you even if they are not. You are always skeptical and wearing a mask. 

Even if during this lifetime, if you reckon your life is very good as a result of unrighteousness and unscrupulous way, it is written and proven that the evil curse will transgress to your next generation. 

The real fruits we want 

Beware of envying those who only show the good side of their lives. For inwardly they may have same, if not, more problems in their lives.

The true fruits of life are love, joy, peace, tolerance, kindness, benevolence, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. And these harvests require discipline and hardwork as the seeds led by some kind of “spirit within”.

Then in embracing the TRUTH in life, couple with righteousness and the inheritance of the fruits, I can assure that even when you may not be the wealthiest, you will have no lacking in life. 

Last but not least, we need to share our fruits with people around us. This shall not be limited to just our own family and friends, it shall be extended to neighbors and strangers as well. 

Finally, let there be no temptations of evil deeds for your fruits will eventually wither.