Wire formed into words hangs over my kitchen table. My best friend, CC, is the one who gave it to me as a housewarming present six 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 life. No matter what trials we face, we all enjoy blessings, too.
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, quietly at first.
Happiness strikes a chord in our heart when we find THE ONE THING we’re supposed to do with our lives and do it. I’m finally healed enough to go on with my journey. MY ONE THING used to be teaching. The flames of my passion were never extinguished, but instead, were dwarfed by grief, sadness, and loneliness that consumed me. Years have passed. Now, it’s time to try new gifts and talents.
No one can leave a box of happiness on your doorstep. It doesn’t appear with prideful demands or expectations. It just happens.
There’s no measure to tell you when you’ve found enough. Like painting, a small stroke transfers into a smear and smudge. Soon, friends begin to ask if you’ve been painting the hallway. You might not even notice at first. Internal happiness blooms like that, and soon, a noticeable change occurs.
“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. 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. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”― George Bernard Shaw
Now, isn’t that is just the best quote ever? “Feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy?” I just love that.
I intend to be thoroughly worn-out before I’m 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, like the wind.
What affirmations! The only person who can turn on the happy is me. It’s a choice.
A few years ago, I had the most wonderful lunch with three couples, a mom, and a daughter. Each 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 them. Everyone had scars from Covid. I was the “Plus .5” 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 teen 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 stories during this most special lunch. It was an afternoon I will remember.
So, make a choice today. If you must, “Fake it ’til you make it.” We all have our “somethings” that are unpleasant and painful. If we 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.