佚名/Anonymous
Millions of people, everywhere, are expressing their happiness by doing what they love to do right now, at this very moment. They are writing (!), they are teaching, they are building, they are healing… they are doing it because it makes them feel happy!
Happiness. What is it? Is it more than just an emotion? I think so. At least, I feel that it is (ha ha). Nathaniel Hawthorn wrote,“happiness is as a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp. But if you sit down, quietly, it will alight upon you.”
When I go deep and ponder such things, I find myself in an abstract place. It is“the void”, where there are no words and there are no things. All that's there is just pure love and it's many counterparts— joy, peace, happiness, bliss, ecstasy… How do I begin to write about something that has such a profound affect on me? How can anyone write about such a feeling, when that feeling is part of the ocean and there is no end to the ocean?
I could list many things that make me feel happy, but I know that some of them would not be your idea of happiness. You might even consider them to be a form of punishment. I suspect that I'd be looking for an exit sign if you came by and suggested we go bunjee jumping together. No thanks; I'd rather have a root canal. So“happiness”feels good, it makes you smile, and it is based largely on your own personal experiences. Each day, you find different ways to feel happy. What make you happy right now? Do you know? Can you list five things, today, that make you feel really, truly happy? Great! Write them down!
Hopefully you've thought of about a dozen more things besides these five, but these five are great for starters. Read out loud. Louder please! Say it this time, with feeling. Good! Much better. Are you smiling yet? If not, why not? Lighten up, please. We are having some fun here! Do the same with the next 4. Read each one aloud, and say each one with feeling.