Some days are fuller than others. Most start pretty dang early though.
And, on this day, between the two of us, there was a lot going on.
It started with Mary & Ollie entering a Costume Competition called Purple Paws. They won best costume, in case you had any doubts whatsoever. Sock-Monkeys RULE. I’ve been telling you this all along.
The daily happenings included youth soccer games, yo-yo-shopping with grandsons, dinner with a good friend, and a wine-tasting / year-end meeting at the Art Association. Minus the wine, for me. BUT. We won the Art-Trivia competition, in case you had any doubts whatsoever.
It was all very good. Very fine, in fact.
At one point during the day, a conversation arose concerning happiness. Someone had asked another someone, “Are you happy?”
When Mary & I reviewed that conversation, she made a very keen observation. She said… “And just what makes that person happy, really?”
And there it is.
So many times, we base our happiness on outside stimulus. Our relationships, our activities, our acquisition of “stuff.” No doubt, some things seem better to me than others.
I mean, most people would be happier eating chocolate-peanut butter ice cream than if they were having root canals.
It might be more fun to go swimming on a hot day, than hitting your thumb with a hammer. And on, and on.
But really, happiness is found within us. We could not expect to be happy all the time. Our human emotions would not have it. But when true happiness arises, it comes from within.
The external measures…. winning a race… or winning the lottery… bring feelings of pleasure. But true happiness, comes from being at peace inside. It comes from recognizing our self-worth, and our authentic selves.
I felt pretty good when we won the Trivia Contest. And it was fun picking out Yo-Yos.
But the real happiness, was realizing how lucky I am, to be in these places, at these times, with these people. And letting my authentic self experience these little wonders of life.
I knew it.
So I clapped my hands.
In case you had any doubts whatsoever
“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” — Winnie the Pooh
“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” — Frederick Keonig
It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” — L.M. Montgomery
“The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does.” — James M. Barrie