A happy perspective
I have been struggling to write about happiness. Everything I come up with sounds so trite and simplistic. And… I can’t get Happiness is a Warm Gun by the Beatles out of my head, which is not exactly the inspiration I was seeking.
After struggling for days to craft something inspiring, I started to wonder what the problem was. What was holding me back and why is it so hard for me to write about happiness? I am a happy person! Then it occurred to me that maybe that’s why I am having difficulty; I don’t want to flaunt my happiness. I don’t want to say Look at me! My life is awesome. I have no complaints. Why? I don’t think people want to hear that; people are struggling in their lives – they are unhappy and stressed and sad and lonely and in trouble.
Truth be told, I have reason to be all of those things, too. But for me, it’s about perspective. I have more reason to be happy than not and I choose to focus on that; it’s a conscious, active effort in my everyday. I have the power to choose a happy perspective in my everyday life.
It’s not easy and I haven’t always done it. I once was the bitter, resentful person who refused to let go of a grudge – weighing myself down with self-pity and projecting my pain onto other people in a futile attempt to protect myself from more pain. That didn’t work for me. Happiness provides me with more of a shield than any armour could.
I do my best not to complain – I look at the rain and appreciate the life it brings. I look at the weeds and appreciate their perseverance. It’s a choice and it is so liberating. I haven’t mastered it – far from it. But, I am getting there and am pleased that my happy moments outnumber my unhappy ones.
Sometimes, I need reminders to shift my perspective; they wait for me to notice them – in my son, in flowers, in bubbles, in photographs, in raindrops on a leaf, in music, in a little smile, or in a clever quote.
My life is happiness. I don’t have to find it, I just need to chip away at the unhappiness and stress and let it in. Let it take over.
I am a happy person. I have moments of unhappiness, but I can’t complain about my life. It is truly awesome and I am beyond blessed.
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This post is my second installment for Momalom’s Five for Ten. The topic is Happiness
