In his book STANDING ON THE PROMISES OR SITTING ON THE
PREMISES (Dimensions for Living, 1995), James Moore relates an
experience that occurred in a New York art museum. One special
thematic room exhibited paintings only of roads. There were
depictions of busy modern interstate highways, big city crowded
thoroughfares, attractive landscaped parkways, happy neighborhood
streets, remote mountain trails and quiet country roads.
On one wall hung a large painting of an unusual road that had an
ethereal, spiritual look, done in soft pastel colors. The caption
beneath it read: "The Road to Happiness." Two women approached
the painting. One of them was visibly moved and said, "Isn't that
beautiful?"
But the other responded sadly, "Of course it's beautiful. The
only problem is, there's no such road!"
I suspect she may be right -- happiness is not a place. It is not
a destination. It is not a future port of call. The problem
is...we want to "arrive" at a point when we are happy. We think
"If only I could do such and such" or "When this or that happens,
I will be happy." When we think like that, happiness becomes a
condition we hope to experience in the future.
Writer Barbara DeAngelis says something different about happiness
(REAL MOMENTS, BDD Audio Publishing, 1994):
"Happiness comes from the old English word 'hap,' which
means 'chance' or 'fortune,' either good or bad. In other
words, what happens to someone. Happiness literally
means the experience of being with whatever is happening.
Although when we say, 'I want to be happy' we are usually
projecting ourselves into the future, happiness, by
definition, can only be found now, in this moment."
"If you can't be happy now with what you have and who
you are, you will not be happy when you get what you
think you want. If you don't know how to fully enjoy $500,
you won't enjoy $5,000 or $500,000. If you can't fully
enjoy taking a walk around the block with your mate,
then you won't enjoy going to Hawaii or Paris. I'm not
saying that having more money or more recreation won't
make your life easier. It will. But it won't make you
happier because it can't."
You are already on the "road to happiness"! Look around. Breathe
deeply. Enjoy. You can be happy NOW. Indeed, happiness can only
be found in the present.
This is a good time to pause in your pursuit of happiness and
just be happy.
-- © Steve Goodier
http://www.lifesupportsystem.com
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