happy?

We hear the word "happy" often this time of year related to new year greetings. I think a lot about happiness and how we get it. And I think about joy, which I consider more a more deeply rooted emotion, not based on outside things, coming from the depths of my being. Happy, to me, is more temporary and maybe a bit more superficial, but I guess it's all in the semantics.

If my happiness depends on circumstances and things, and even people, it can shatter instantly into a zillion tiny pieces, just like a jar dropped on my ceramic tiled kitchen floor. But if it's based on looking outside of myself, if it's based on caring about and doing something for others, it becomes more deeply rooted and genuine. I may not have it all figured out, but one thing I know, it's all about putting others first. And everyday life in my small world, and in the big world around me (think Haiti), gives an abundance of ways to do that.