Worn-out Topic Turned Life Lesson

DAY 9: Write About Happiness 

Worn out topic turned life lesson. 

I feel like there is nothing new to say about this topic. In fact, I had no inspirations at all when I read today’s title. But the tiniest everyday happening gave me a few insights into myself and how I handle, or don’t handle as the case is here, the ordinary atrocities of the day. Even if you readers are bored, I actually learned something. 

I am writing about Happiness. 

I am writing about Happiness. I am not writing about joy. For the purposes of this writing, I refer to those as two different things. Happiness is a passing feeling, a reaction to things or situations Around you, whereas Joy is something deeper, less dramatic, something you live with that never disappears even when bad things happen. What are your thoughts? 

Happiness is transient. 

Today, for example, at one point I felt a sense of accomplishment, which, I know from before, is a happiness trigger for me. An hour or two later, however, Little things  going wrong and naughty children seem to be enough to dim my happiness, at least temporarily. I experienced frustration and anger when trailer hitches and hose ends used for flooding rink were mysteriously missing and the garden hose was solidly full of ice. Next, T drove his mower-turned-quad out on the road where he knows he’s not allowed to roam, and got hung up on a snowdrift. I made him walk back home. Neither of us was happy then. A minute or two later he came up to me and cheerfully and unrealistically offered to help me with something I was working on. Does he have mood swings, or does has he just childishly perfected the art of letting things go and being happy? Either way, that was a turning point for me today. He unwittingly showed me how to not allow the menial frustrations of the day, more annoying than difficult, vacuum up all the happiness in their swirling tornado path. Let it go. 

Let it Go. 

Frustrations 

Anger

Fear

Laziness

Arrogance 

Gossip

Selfishness 

Unforgiveness (supposedly this isn’t even a word)

Pride 

All the ugliest things are what blocks happiness. 

I know I will never be capable of living without these things, but maybe I could live with less of them. 

If I would take T’s example of letting things go instead of holding on to the bad things that happen or my negative emotions, I would experience more of those moments of pure happiness. 

I don’t want to be perfect, I just want to be better.