For some reason, over the last week or more, I have been getting deluged with emails and blogs from other writers about happiness. Some of what I have read or watched has been inspiring; some of it has not. Of course, happiness (or seeking happiness) seems to be constantly on our minds. Countless philosophers have spent time contemplating happiness: what it is, where it comes from, how to get it. I am not Plato or Aristotle by any means but in the context of this Year of Service, I’d like to add to your thinking on the subject.
To be honest, I never really thought too deeply about happiness until I reached “middle age.” I generally have been too busy living life to be very concerned about happiness. I mean, it’s not that I wasn’t happy. Rather, I have always been a goal-oriented person and pursuing those goals (and achieving them) always brought me happiness.
Of course, when you have children (my wife and I have been blessed with three), your goals start to become less and less important. Plus, as I have been articulating in these blogs, the only way to get what we want in life is to help others get what they want. While I don’t intentionally help others just to get something back at a later date, I do know that my service will pay off in some way. I don’t know how or when but I do know that the seed of an equivalent benefit has been planted and I will reap what I sow.
So how does that translate to happiness? Well, first off, I truly believe that happiness is a choice. We choose our mood. We don’t have to be smiling and happy all the time; but your circumstances should not play a role in how you feel. While it’s okay to be bummed out when something “goes wrong,” remaining depressed or angry about that event or another person’s actions means you have ceded control of your life in some way to something or someone else.
Second, if you really need a pick-me-up, put on your servant’s hat and be of assistance to someone else in need. Look for opportunities to serve others. Chances are high that someone else, somewhere, is having a much harder time than you. As Andy Andrews says, crises are just a part of our human existence: We are either coming out of a crisis, in a crisis, or headed for a crisis. I have found that when I focus my attention on helping others, my own problems don’t seem so great…
In this Lenten Season of Service, during the Year of Service, re-commit right now to two things: 1) Choose Happiness and 2) Choose Service. You have so much to offer. And let me make a commitment to you, too. If you don’t know what you can do or if you need my help in some way, please reach out to me. The Shaven Raven is on Facebook, Twitter, and available via email. Please leave a comment or tweet me with any questions or comments you might have and let’s all promise to making our world a little bit better….one smile at a time.