I have been thinking for a couple of weeks now, about the oddity of happiness. My reflection has been really focused on the fact that I do not necessarily feel very happy. What is intriguing/odd about that is happiness seems to be something that a lot of us want in our lives when in reality, happiness is not guaranteed in this life. A lot of things are not guaranteed in this life, except for death. Happiness is not guaranteed. And happiness is such a fleeting emotion that, for me at least, it feels like it is a thing that is almost impossible to put flesh on.
Happiness, in comparison to joy, is passive but joy is a choice. Joy is a conscious decision to be grateful in our day to day life. Recently, while I was traveling, I had a few moments where I felt happy and many moments where I did not. This does not necessarily mean that those moments of unhappiness are “bad moments”, or that I was not enjoying myself. Those unhappy moments are part of the rhythm of life.
For some reason, there seems to be this idea that happiness equals fulfillment. And I just do not think that is the case. So the question that I have for myself and for all of us, as we continue our spiritual journeys throughout this earthly world is:
Are we appreciating the moments of happiness that show up?
No matter how brief they might be, are we actively choosing to cultivate joy in our lives? Which is to say, are we actively choosing to be grateful for the moment of happiness that we have in the life that we are given?
While we might not like the cards that we are dealt in life, are we learning to develop skills and consciousness that allows us to play those cards well? Every once in a while, there might be a moment where we will be able to exchange cards. But the reality is, the cards that we are dealt are often the cards that we have to play throughout our own lives. So how are we compensating for that? I truly believe how we deal well with the cards that we are given in life, iis by choosing joy, even if the moments of happiness come and go.
If you choose joy, then that means you choose to reside in gratefulness. And gratefulness helps you to appreciate the people that are around you, the places that you are found, the experiences that you have. What I mean by appreciate is not just enjoy, but recognize those moments/experiences or those people, as opportunities for growth, and opportunities for sacred wisdom to be learned. This is probably why Thomas Aquinas said that “joy is a human’s most noble act”. I think it is the most noble act because it is the act of grounding ourselves in the present moment, recognizing the sacredness of their present moment, and using the sacred energy to help make the world a little bit more of a better place.
So when those moments of happiness do come, cherish them.
I hope this can serve you as a tool to help in your life.
As you go forth into this world, remember that life is short. We do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who journey with us. So let us be swift to love. Let us make haste to be kind.
And today, let us choose to be joyful, wherever we are.
Appreciate those moments of happiness whenever they come.
Amen
