I want to be happy, all the time. When I’m drinking coffee, when I’m sitting behind a desk for hours and when I’m nodding in a meeting that I actually shouldn’t even be attending. Happy. Heart full of joy, smile on my face, positivity on my head. Happy. It’s sounds like a pretty easy task right? Happiness. But it really is easier said than done.
I’ve learnt that life is a careful balance of ups and downs. And while life might be a balance of ups and downs, the ups and downs themselves aren’t always balanced. I’m sure you know what I mean; one week you’re at the top of your game and the next you suddenly have the flu. For two months you’re knocking off every item on your to-do list at a rapid pace and then you’re not. Deadlines are approaching faster than you can keep up with and suddenly your high is a low.
I’m not taking a leap when I say most people would choose happiness over unhappiness. We go to great lengths to avoid the bad and walk smack bam into the good. You learn new yoga poses, delete chauvinists from Facebook, maybe you’ll even take up some cooking classes. If you’re anything like me you’ll go on this great journey called ‘’The Pursuit of Happiness”. And if you’re still anything like me you’ll know that happiness isn’t the destination, happiness is actually the journey.
Happiness is found in all the little things you do along the way.
- The book you’re reading
- Your favourite ice-cream
- Lounging in the sun
- Laughing with friends
- Internal reflections
- Day trips to the market
- And a million other heart warming things that make you smile.
When I do all these in one day I’m beaming from ear to ear.
I’ve learned that I’m not going to find happiness at the coffee machine. Because at the coffee machine I’ll be mentally rehearsing for the meeting I’m about to present in. And I won’t find happiness after sitting behind my desk for hours because my shoulders will hurt from having my arms stretched out typing and my eyes will be sore from staring at my screen. But I will find happiness later that day at dinner with friends and over the weekend when I’m shopping with my Mom. I’ll find happiness while having a chat with friends and when I’m taking a stroll in the sun.
There’s the age old saying that there’s a time and place for everything, and I’m pretty sure the wise oldies who said that were thinking about happiness too. And that’s okay, happiness isn’t around every corner, and because it’s not it’s so much sweeter when you do find it.