Are you happy, but just don’t know it?

Today we are going to take a moment, relax a bit and ask ourselves, “Are we happy?” A simple question, but is the answer a simple one?

Do you feel like you are “caught in the crosshairs of head and heart” (a quote from the movie)? Is there too much going on in your head and heart too troubled for you to just be happy?

I was watching a movie about a week ago (don’t remember the name), where the main character was about to be married. Contemplating whether or not he should go through with the wedding, he turned to his friend and said, “Will I be happy?” The friend paused, gave the question some deep thought, and said, “Yes, but you won’t know it.”

This simple phrase was both funny and profound. I couldn’t help but chuckle about it all day as it kept resurfacing and eventually I knew I had to blog about it. I have spent decades seeking to be happy, first digging my way out of a dark childhood, crawling out of a challenging adolescence, and scraping by through a less then pleasant early adulthood, and arriving in one piece (some of the pieces were glued back on) to a rather pleasant older adulthood. Along the way I learned a bit about being happy.

You need to make time and room for happiness (or else you won’t know you’re happy).

If you fill your life with too many things, too many activities, too many responsibilities, you won’t have the time or energy to allow for happiness to flourish. If you are waiting to be happy once you have reached a goal, or once you have finished a project or for it to be given to you on a silver platter, it will never arrive. If you stuff your brain with too many thoughts, too much stress and your heart is filled with old hurts you haven’t forgiven, regrets from past mishaps, then there is no room left to experience the subtle delights of being happy in the moment. If you neglect your body, over stuff it and leave it unused and uncared for, your senses become overburdened and dulled making it difficult to experience the gentle vibrations of happiness.

Take a moment and stop everything - just think about what you have in your life right now that is a source of happiness, (to name a few: a child’s smile, a sunny day, the smell of flowers, the love of family and friends, the simple pleasure of a comfortable chair).

Can you make room for happiness? Can you clear away some time and space in your body, your mind, your heart, and your surroundings to allow happiness to flourish? Can you take a moment each day to know that you are happy? I know you can!

Give it a try. Leave a comment and let us know what makes you happy.

Related Posts:
Laughter.
Be Happy.

This post is reprinted as a guest post (week of July 23) on Be the change you want to see.

********************

Technorati Tags

Rate:
2.5

Tags: , , , , , ,