Happiness

Sometimes, we reach a point in life that makes us ponder what really makes us happy. Then, we realize what a challenge it may be to achieve our perception of happiness, which may make us fear it. Other times, happiness can be very difficult to quantify, as we are often persuaded to pursue a type of happiness that is defined by society and others close to us.

However, happiness, as we’ve come to understand it, can be scary. The sacrifices it takes to grow a successful business, the time spent at work to make that dollar that we want to use to buy that stuff, the long commute in traffic, time away from family, the grind — it seems like it will take an overwhelming amount of perseverance, discipline and drive. What’s the big deal anyway? Is being happy really such a big thing?

Over the years, I have found myself simplifying more and more, taking little nibbles of joy along my journey rather than making a meal of it. To me, happiness is smaller. What I’ve tended to notice recently is that things, places and events that make me “happy” are fleeting; happiness is less a state of mind and more of the moment at hand. It’s the warmth of sunshine as the shadows of the trees pass while you drive listening to one of your favorite songs. It’s the softness of your dog’s ear, the way light shines through the clouds just before a summer storm, the giggle of a child, a hug from your grandmother, a pleasant vacation memory during a long day at the office… the list goes on.

Four years ago this month, when the first issues of Family Life magazines were published, printed and distributed, I became a publisher, and yes, that definitely made me happy. However, looking back, that single moment wasn’t the pinnacle I then perceived it to be after years of working towards it, but rather just one happy event in a string of decades-long events that continues to this day. I’ve come to the realization that “happy” is exactly where we choose to find it. It is everywhere, every day and in everything. Take a moment. Look. Take in some happy. It is where you least expect it and right where you knew it would be, too.