Happiness is like the old man told me...

There is a lesson I keep needing to re-teach myself in life (and I’m sure I’m not the only one.) I’ve probably written about this in past blogs, but let’s face it, these blogs are an expression of what’s on my mind and in my life, so if I’m re-writing it, then so be it.

Happiness is not a goal you can chase or seek out. It equates to satisfaction and contentment in the life you are living, and the starting point, despite how strange it may sound, is to be at peace with where your life is at, even if that means holding hope that things won’t be as difficult in the future. 

The idea of chasing satisfaction is absurd, because in order to seek it, you have to admit you are unsatisfied, which is the whole point. To be happy - truly happy in the now - you have to learn to accept and be satisfied no matter where you are at in life, or you will constantly be chasing that superficial form of happiness (in whatever form that may take – money, power, fame, love.) And this doesn’t mean that in order to be happy you can’t make changes in your life to make it better, it just means the goal of those changes isn’t to find happiness, it’s just to make life… well, life. 

I’m trying to teach myself how to be happy right now, even though things are difficult. I’m trying to teach myself that it’s not something I can chase; that I need to just accept and be satisfied that my life is the way it is, and the changes I make in it won’t make me happier, it just changes my life. A deeply content person will be fulfilled no matter what comes crashing down on them. It doesn’t mean they won’t feel sadness and anger, or sorrow and grief, it just means that when the distress is over, and they’ve gone through their emotions, that contentment for their life still exists. Those things around them can’t change the level of satisfaction they feel on the inside.

I’m trying to teach myself to do that. But in admitting that, I guess the point still hasn’t sunk in for me, because I’m flat out stating that I’m not satisfied, and therefore I’m seeking it, rather than just letting it come naturally.

Letting it come naturally. I think 'The Fray' clarify this best. Take a moment to listen to the lyrics and forget he wrote it about a girl.

  "... Happiness is like the old man told me
Look for it, but you'll never find it all
Let it go, live your life and leave it
Then one day, wake up and she'll be home
Home, home, home"