The cutest wire formed into words hangs over my kitchen table. I put it there so each and every day I can remember my best friend, CC. She’s the one that gave it to me as a housewarming present two years ago. Two words. “CHOOSE HAPPINESS!” That’s something everyone in the world needs to do right now. Just sit down and be truly grateful for the blessings in our lives. Face it. No matter the trials we face, we all have an abundance of things for which be thankful.
You can’t buy a jar of “Happy” through Amazon. The biggest jackpot at the local casino won’t do it. Even living in the best house on the best street in the most wonderful desert town won’t do it. It sprouts from within. Very quietly at first.
Happiness strikes a chord in our heart when we find THE ONE THING we are supposed to do with our lives and do it. I’m finally healed enough to go on with my journey. MY ONE THING is teaching. It is a passion. A fire that never went out, but instead, was dwarfed by the flames of grief, sadness, and loneliness that have consumed me over the past two years. Burning brightly now, it’s guiding me to new opportunities just outside my door.
No one can leave a box of happiness on your doorstep. It doesn’t come when it is demanded or expected. It just happens.
There is no measure to tell you when you’ve found enough. Like a painter’s hands, a a drop turns into a smear and pretty soon, everyone who sees you knows you’ve been painting the hallway. You might not even see the joke until you look in the mirror. Internal happiness oozes out like that and friends begin to notice a change.
“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” George Bernard Shaw
Now, isn’t that is just the best quote ever?
I intend to be thoroughly worn-out before I am thrown into the scrap heap.
I refuse to waste another moment as a “feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making me happy”.
I choose to be a force of nature.
What affirmations! The only person who can turn on the happy is me. It’s a choice.
On Sunday, I had the most wonderful lunch with three couples and a mom and daughter. Each individual couple carried heavy burdens. One couple would enjoy their mother on this earth only a few more days. One couple shared only three legs between the two of them. Everyone had scars from Covid. I was the “Plus 1/2” that no one wants to be. Each one of us had reason to dominate the table with tales of woe. But we didn’t choose to do that.
Instead, there we sat after church, brand new friends enjoying each other’s company. For two hours, we laughed, enjoyed our meal, and got to know one another. Even the daughter, who had ever right to be very unhappy due to the 50 year age difference between us, added humor to the lunch, enjoying little conversations with everyone at the table.
The man that had the best attitude of all had just had his leg amputated a few months before. With an infectious attitude of kindness and gratitude, he had us all laughing with his amazing attitude during this most special lunch. It was an afternoon I will remember and hope to enjoy again next Sunday.
So, make a choice today. As VST would always say, “Fake it ’til you make it.” We all have our “somethings” that are unpleasant and painful. If we truly take inventory, we’ll see that the basket that holds our “beautifuls” overflows into a colorful puddle that can look a lot like happiness.
More tomorrow.