To be happy?

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance;

the wise grows it under his feet.

           

 ~James Openheim

Each time we allow ourselves to be overcome with paralyzingly strong negative emotions, we, ourselves, have invited the emotions to join us- we have created a seeemingly negative environment for ourselves. It is better to choose happiness.  To actively step back from a situation and find the peace in it helps to remind us that even the most seemingly negative setbacks can keep us well practiced in returning to a state of inner equilibrium.

 We are always left with the choice of whether we would rather give up our hold to anger, fear, pride or whatever it is we happen to be feeling, and leave room for the magic of the current  moment to take its place. Many of us feel as if we cannot just stop being mad- that our anger is justified.

Justify your anger or not-the anger will still do you no good.  Most of the things that make you angry today will not bother you next week, next year or certainly not next month. If they are not worth carrying into the future, why contaiminate another moments promise of freedom with the chains of unhappiness?

We are born to be Happy

"children guessed... but only a few and down they forgot as up they grew"
                                                                                                           ~e.e.commings


I love to watch children playing. It reminds me of the essence of life.  Playing children are not asking permission to be happy; they are not worrying about what thay need to do later; they are not putting their happiness on hold for another time. They live in the present moment, that is, unless they have been conditioned to do elsewise.

We have a lot to learn from children.  Children, because they are new to the world and to society, have not yet forgotten the wonders of living. They are committed to having fun, to enjoying life, and to living authentically.

We were all born knowing there is happiness inside of us, waiting to be released. This is why we are all trying to seek pleasure and avoid pain throught the entirety of our lives. Many of us loose our child-like zest for life, some before others. We forget how to forgive, we forget how to be happy, we forget how to live.We follow the tired examples of those around us, mistaking child-like love, kindness, and joy for childish naivety.

One must realize, as every innocent child assumes, that there is never a better time to be happy than in the here and now. The past is a memory, and the future is a plan, but the here and now is always our experience. If one is always putting happiness aside, placing conditions on one's own happiness (such as when I am in a better space, when I am in a better relationship, when I get this promotion, when there is an end to poverty and hunger) it is unlikely that we will ever get to be happy.  There will always be a reason to be unhappy if we search for it. The good news is that the opposite is also true. There will always be reasons to be happy if we look for them. In each situation, no matter how seemingly terrible, there is always something to be Glad for.  With practice it gets easier and easier to find the good in easch situation, even if it is something seemingly simple.

Getting in the "Attitude of Gratitude" is an easy way to remember to find the situations positive side. And one must never deny the importance of playing the "Glad game" and make it part of your thought pattern to continually find something, anything, to be happy about in each situation. It may sound child-ish and naive, but I am suggesting that it is instead a child like activity that will add not only value to your life, but value to the lives of those around you.