I’ve been thinking a lot about happiness lately.  What does it mean to truly be happy?  What/Who defines happiness?

I’ve come to the conclusion happiness isn’t something that just happens to you.  It’s something you choose.

The scripture that went along with my Daily Word reading this morning was Ecclesiastes 3:12:

“I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.” 

This is part of the infamous “A time for everything” passage.  (Footloose fans, it’s what Kevin Bacon recites during his “And a time to dance!” speech.)

There is nothing better for you than to be happy and enjoy yourself as long as you live.  The passage later goes on to say that being happy and enjoying your experiences “is the gift of God”.

(Food for Thought:  I love that it says of God and not from God – it shows that God is within us (“of” us) as opposed to this gift being something that we receive from God, thus remaining separate.  It’s the same when the fruit of the Spirit is discussed in Galatians.  These fruits and gifts are something we express when we realize that we are one with God and Spirit.  They aren’t something that God and Spirit give to us.  We express it God and Spirit through us.)

People always ask what the purpose of life is.  What is the reason for existence?  Why are we all here?

I think this verse sums it up pretty nicely – we are here to experience life as a human and to be happy, to enjoy ourselves as long as we live.  This is the gift of God.

Ok…well, that’s a hell of a lot easier said than done, right?? Hehe.

There’s so much demanded of us these days, it’s hard to just focus on being happy every day because sometimes, there’s days where it’s hard to find something to be happy about.

While going through Danielle LaPorte’s The Desire Map, I’m learning that we need to shift our view of life from doing what society is telling us we “should” do to doing what we truly desire to do, and more importantly, feeling how we desire to feel.

How do you want to feel in life?

Fulfilled?  Respected?  Loved?  Abundant?  Healthy?  Strong?  Faithful?  Dedicated?

Happy?

I love the John Lennon quote about happiness:

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

I think it’s safe to say that most people on the planet want to feel happy in life.  It’s an innate human longing – the pure bliss of happiness and joy.  We’re always searching for things that make us happy, often resorting to external, consumable items (food, clothes, cars, etc.).  But true happiness doesn’t come from outside sources.  It can only come from within, from a knowledge and acceptance of the divine order of life.

Like Ecclesiastes 3 says, life goes in cycles. Some good, some bad.  Some euphoric, while some nearly fatal.  When we’re able to recognize those cycles and go with the flow, our acceptance creates this deep feeling of peace and joy, knowing that all is well and there is nothing to fear.

King Solomon said it first in Ecclesiastes – there is nothing better for you to do that to be happy and enjoy yourself as long as you live.

So in whatever you do today, pay attention to your emotions, pay attention to how you feel.  Is what you are doing making you happy?  If so, great, keep doing it!  If not, stop!  Make the changes that need made so that you do feel happy.  And don’t feel guilty about it!  Remember, it’s the best thing you can do for yourself.  King Solomon says so!

So much love!!

Kim