What Makes YOU Happy?

What Makes YOU Happy?

If 100 people were asked this question, I'd likely get 100 different answers. Oh, some of them might be similar (my family, my kids) but, upon my requesting for them to get more specific we'd find different and specific names, personalities and reasons for even this.

Now, right off there is one thing I want to make sure you understand with this question - it's not, "What WOULD make you happy?" The question is is in the present tense which suggests the additional word "now" - "What Makes You Happy NOW?"

You see, too many times we spent so much time - wasted time - pursuing what MIGHT make us happy IF this were to happen or if that were to happen. And, while doing so, we let our lives (and lots of the happiness tied in with it) pass us by.

The phrase, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is, perhaps, one of the most famous phrased that comes from the United States' Declaration of Independence. It reads:

"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Our founding fathers recognized our right - endowed (given) by our Creator - to own and cherish these in our own lives...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

However, here lies the problem - many are constantly in pursuit of something that they THINK might make them happy and never achieve that which they pursue.

A friend of mine, Gerry Nesbitt, said this once: "We are possessed by what we pursue."

How true! And, the "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" mentality will have us constantly possessed with an endless pursuit.

Why? Because there is ALWAYS "the other side" of the fence!

Look around you right now - today!

What makes you happy NOW?

What makes you happy TODAY?

What brings joy into your life?

Who brings joy into your life?

Here's a word of caution - if your happiness it totally dependent upon a person or a thing then you must also consider the question of what will happen if/when that person or thing dissappoints you or is gone?

See what I mean? Too many people rely on someone else to make them happy and then, due to a breakup or whatever, they find themselves without that person in their life and they are miserable.

Oh, I understand that happiness many times IS connected to those around us. But, just make sure you are not allowing that control totally in the hands of others.

Think about it. Make a list as you think about today's question, "What makes YOU happy?" and we'll continue this discussion tomorrow.

Until then...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike