Clap clap. Are you happy ? And do you know it ?

Why are you happy ? What makes you happy ?

It is sad that happiness is always being measured in our society. We are told that beauty is happiness. Wealth is happiness. Things and good food, and nice jewelry, and travel is happiness.

But, what if your whole life is just the pursuit of happiness. What if you spend your whole life pursuing that destination of happiness… only to find that happiness is not a destination… its simply a state of mind. I challenge you to ask yourself a simple question… When was I truly happy for an extended period of time ? Many will say never. But, if you can remember a time period when you were truly happy… ask yourself the follow up question: Did you feel truly happy back then ? In other words, back when you were truly happy, did you know it… or are you now just reflecting back and saying… yea, those were the good ole days. Most people either can’t remember a time period where they can state that they were truly happy or if they can… they admit that they didn’t even realize they were happy… and thus didn’t enjoy it when they had the chance. This is very much like an overweight person that continues to put on weight over the years… constantly dieting, struggling, and losing the battle year after year… as they gain a few extra pounds each year… then they reflect on a photo album from 5 years ago… and they look at themselves, and they say… wow, I looked good back then (as they compare themselves to their present look) and they are remiss that they didnt enjoy it back then… in fact they realized that they were miserable back then too… so, the whole time in the pursuit of happiness… they found nothing but misery. So many people struggle with this… they are just never happy… because they always see happiness as a destination just out of reach… and the continue to move the goal post further and further no matter what… they are never happy.

I present the idea (I am not the first to consider this idea) that we should just decide to be happy right now. Enjoying everything that is good in our lives right here and now and forever more. Your life will never be perfect, and you won’t enjoy or love every aspect of your life from this day forward… but, what you can do is soak up every moment of fun, happiness, love, joy, pleasure, etc. that you encounter starting right now until your very last breath… that way, when you look back at a photo album of yourself 5 years from now, you will be able to say, wow, those were the good ole days, and you will be able to say… I enjoyed every single moment… and not have any regrets… and not feel like you threw those years away for nothing. Close your eyes… think of something good in your life right now… smile, laugh, be happy… focus on the good. Reduce your attention on negative things, thoughts, people, or problems in your life. Focus on the good… enjoy your life, be happy and know it… and clap your hands. Clap, clap.