Like a Birthday

I went walking this morning. It's been a while since I've done that, just the road, my music, my thoughts and my will. Walking allows plenty time to lose myself and find some of me. I thought of many things and people while I walked (some more important than others); but my thoughts were occasionally disturbed by the crispness of the morning air filling my lungs, the sound of the wind rushing through the leaves, the intermittent showers kissing my skin, but I welcomed these interruptions to my thoughts.

It felt good wiping the sweat off my brow, feel my lungs burn, my throat dry begging for water and my muscles begging for clemency as I pushed myself.

While I walked and occasionally jogged through my beautiful island so filled with life, I thought of the notion of happiness; and was reminded of a quote I came across a few days before. "Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections."

It got me thinking, being happy is much easier said than done; it is a perpetual work in progress. Happiness must come from you, but there are so many obstacles, disappointments and challenges that make this state difficult to maintain. Often we expect happiness to come in a magical lamp with a genie to grant us three wishes that will make everything ok. We get disillusioned by setting moving goal post as markers for our happiness.

Being happy is hard work; there is no quick fix, it certainly does not exist on a continuum and most certainly does not come in a neat little package delivered by the north wind or anyone else for that matter.

Happiness will not come to you while you sit wallowing in self-pity, self-loathing, indignation or any other of these self destructive emotions (there's that word again; it just keeps getting in the way).

Like everything else we need to take responsibility for our happiness. Stop thinking about being happy and just fucking be happy.