Me working on a crab boat, Eureka 1992
Happenstance:
: a circumstance especially that is due to chance We work. We work for money, for meaning, for success, achievement and survival. But mostly, we are working to find happiness. We all know the meaning of happiness. But it's a state of being that evolves as we grow. It's ever changing and dynamic. Happiness for each of us is redefined constantly over the course of our lives.
Happiness:
a : a state of well-being and contentment : joy
b : a pleasurable or satisfying experience
b : a pleasurable or satisfying experience
Chris and I working the track at Buttonwillow 2007
The state of being happy is a subjective experience. We each have our own unique windows on the world. Whether your search is a path to success, enjoying the work you do, your art, raising a family, or even not achieving anything at all, the end game is still the same. All the different paths we carve out have a common intended destination. That's why I like to say,.. All roads lead to happiness. You just have to draw the right map. The one that fits for you.
100 mile training ride for AIDS/LifeCycle, Schoolhouse Beach 2010
In the New York Times article, Happiness Inc. by Elizabeth Weil, she talks about how we all have an equilibrium for staying content. She describes this internal human device when she writes, "If something good happens, your sense of happiness rises; if something bad happens, it falls. But either way, before too long, your mood will creep back to its set point because of a really powerful and perverse phenomenon referred to in science as “hedonic adaptation.” You know, people get used to things (web)."
In regards to this device, if you are always chasing the happy bus and looking too hard, then you may find yourself falling into the trap of discontentment. Because too much of a good thing, makes it-just another thing. We all need to keep our happiness equilibrium by embracing the lows when they are present and enjoying the highs when they grace our presence. We should not pursue too little nor try to chase too much. We should be looking for just the right amount. Then we can keep up the momentum that allows our happiness dreams to come true. There's the "Goldilocks" thing again,... just right.
Link to the article, Happiness Inc. and the graphic above.
This bring us to my favorite word...MIRTH : gladness or gaiety as shown by or accompanied with laughter.
Chris telling jokes in my garage
Sometimes mirth is as simple as hanging out with friends and laughing. Again, what is funny will be different for everyone. But nothing makes me laugh harder then when by buddy Chris starts off on a diatribe of his ironic humor. He likes to refer to things that most people love as objects of disdain. For example, Chris often says things like,"I hate rainbows. They're too bright and they hurt my eyes. I cant stand happy-faces, ladybugs and butterflies are ugly. The only thing good about unicorns is unicorn steak, And the best thing about dolphins is dolphin in a can." Now, I know that many find this offensive. But the point is, it's different strokes for different folks and the pure ridiculousness of it makes me howl.
Working at Sears Pt. 2011
Other times I find mirth in my own accomplishments. I've been known to laugh out loud on my bicycle ride home from school while having a good day. There is much joy and happiness to be found in the accomplishments of my daughter. After all, she is an extension of me. And that brings me to love. I have experienced the most happiness in the emotions of love. Like the way I feel about my child. The love I feel for her-just is. And no matter what, that love is always there for both of us. That part of my life, is my truest happiness.
Aris, less than a day old, 1994
In Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom, the author quotes Morrie as saying,"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love and to let it come back in."
I connect to this statement because of the very
first time I held my baby girl. I remember feeling that exact sensation of open-heartedness pouring in and out. The flow of emotion without words, a connection which requires no language or commitment. All the essential elements are just built right in. So, when it comes right down to the nitty gritty of reasons, that is why I work. I work in the pursuit of love and happiness. It's not happenstance. It is deliberate and purposeful.
It is my pursuit of happiness.
First time Dad holds Daughter
BLINK!
Daughter goes to college
Strive to always live in the moment.
Strive to always live in the moment.
Thanks for reading
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