How I found Happy.

For the past few months, I have contemplated happiness.  What is it?  Is it concrete?  Can I grab it by the arms, swing it in the air, and toss it in the wind?  Will I find it hiding in the crevices of my most prized friendships?  Or can I hear happiness sing like dancing butterflies in the wealth of a growing bank account?  Is happiness laying peacefully in the depths of my apartment, perhaps in my closet of stored fashionable goods?  Where are you happiness?  

I questioned and questioned.  But I realize now, the society we live in folks, it is a bit cruel.  She tells me, wear me - bright pink lips, then you'll be happy.  Nothing.  Buy me, belts and couture, those lips will curve into instant smiles.  Nothing.  She says, find yourself a rich hubby, he'll make all your dreams come true.  Tempting, but I'll pass.  I hear her say, 'happiness comes externally, you just gotta find it girlfriend!"  Ahh, that is when I tell her, "Im sorry, but I have to disagree."
  
Happiness, in my humble opinion, has become an obsession.. No, an addiction correlated to the possession of goods we perceive to make us (and I quote) 'happy.'  But the concept is wrong.  No person, no innate object, no drug, and no dollar bill (even in the plenty) can bring you true and utter joy.  

Genuine happiness is often times, synthetic.  You must find and design your own sense of fulfillment.  Begin by loving yourself in every possible way.  Truly appreciate the organs within, powerfully engineered to yield approximately 17,280 breaths of oxygen each day.  Express your gratitude to God for the abundance of love and goodness in your life, even if it is not visible to you just yet.  Even in the harshest of times, even when you find yourself at the bottom of that dark black hole, even then there IS enough positive value for an ever so soft smile.  Yes, you can find light hidden in the crevices of what is perceived as the most difficult, unimaginable situations.  Believe, believe, believe!  Because no matter how bad you think your situation is, there is always another person suffering at a greater degree - yet still waking up each morning, sending radiant smiles to the bright sun.


It is okay if you didn't pass that exam, it is okay if your engagement broke, it is okay if you lost a friend, it is okay if you lost money... Think about it.  What is the purpose of these events?  I highly doubt, God, in his ultimate wisdom and mercy, is playing games with your heart.  He is teaching you... teaching you to love and give love.  Life completely makes sense when you simply submit and accept the will of God. Understand, what is your current situation trying to teach you?  Then, instill the lessons learned.


We would be fools to think no one in this world is undergoing a struggle.  Celebrities, with all their wealth and power, too find themselves cornered in a world of drug addiction, depression, and anxiety.  It is in this concept that I realize the impact of kindness and empathy.  For we never know the struggle our neighbor is enduring.  

So let me conclude here.  To be happy, you must find happy internally, within yourself and within God.  Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to your growth overtime.  Cherish and relish in the person that you are.  Seek and understand the beautiful purpose God has given you.  Nourish your soul with God's light.  

If you find your self trapped in the depths of the blackest night, search for that warm light pulsating through your soul.  search for Him, the Almighty.  And openly welcome the dawn of the new day.  The light, oh friend, is so warm and so bright... You must have a taste.

Be well.