HAPPINESS
1. "Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.
A variety of biological, psychological, religious and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources."
And...they can't.
Because defining happiness is like describing a boobie to a blind man. You just have to feel it.
Damn that word happiness. It's such a trigger.
I once heard happiness described as being "As important to living as oxygen."
At the time, it pissed me off something awful. What wing-nut would equate happiness with life? You can live a perfectly fine life as a miserable bitch--just ask my dog.
Listen, our Founding Father's did. They even wrote it into our country's Bill Of Rights -- "Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness."
Have you ever tried to pursue happiness? The big smiley face kind? I have. That is one slippery, elusive, and habitually unattainable little fucker--when pursued.
That's the thing. You have to let happiness come to YOU. Find YOU.
What about JOY? If you hate the concept of pursuing happiness, you're going to loathe the word JOY.
I hear you.
Joy sucks.
Does it even exist? Joy? I mean really? Who walks around JOYFUL?
Stop being so angry for a second and consider of this:
Have you ever felt curious about something? Approaching it with wonder and awe?
Have you ever been in love? Maybe romantic love has passed you by, but did you ever win a fish at the inky-stink neighborhood Carnival? Or collect ladybugs at the vacant lot around the corner? Or help a hummingbird find its way out of your house?
What about when you fix something that's been broken? Or find something precious that's been lost?
I helped a little boy who was lost in Target find his mother yesterday, and when I saw her face my shriveled up raisin of a heart leapt out of my chest and hugged her.
We are completely blind to the ordinary occurrences in our lives, forever looking, PURSUING, the big; jumping in the air; new pony; fireworks and screaming; red Ferrari; giant Happy Face moments which, if we're lucky, happen a handful of times in our lives.
I needed a steadier stream so I learned to redefine what it meant to feel happiness and joy. I expanded the parameters ( yes, you can do that) to include, well, everything.
And then I retired my track shoes. I ended the pursuit, stood still, and opened my eyes.
The graphic says FIND THE JOY IN THE ORDINARY. I say, SEE THE JOY IN THE ORDINARY, that feels SO much more doable to me. How about YOU?
Carry on,
xox