crossroads: happiness or joy?

Having a fair amount of misery left behind me….what to choose?
He, look, a cross-road in life! How convenient. Guidance on my path.

Let’s see……
Hum…… is  JOY not the same as HAPPINESS?

My own personal happiness, containing all the things that please me, is indicated to be the left.

Sounds like  a ‘joy’ to me…..
Why is ‘my joy’ then indicated to be to the right?

Oooooo...... is this supposed to be the point in my spiritual growth where I have to abandon all the things that please me, personally, to experience MY JOY?

That seems like a no-brainer to me…let’s go left… !
I can always try spiritual growth some other lifetime.

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• Why is this little playful purple sorceress staring so intently at me, freezing me in my tracks?
• Why is she pointing out that this whole website, where I am staring at this cross road,  is about being able to make both/and choices…not only either/or?
• Why would it be that those distant images of happiness and joy seem to have so much in common….?

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The sorceress:

Consider that soul deep JOY includes your personal happiness (BOTH/AND) , while pursuing your own happiness (on the expense of the freedom of choice and self-expression of others), is not heading for soul deep joy.

For your soul longs to resonate harmoniously with all ( not only the people you like better on face value than others, or find more palatable to interact with) ….knowing….. we are all one: blocking out another, is harming the (sustainable happiness of) self.