Hi Friend!
As I write this, I am hoping you find the path and direction you want to be on and you’re going slow enough to take in all of its magic.
That is all.
~Tim
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
At least that’s what the Beatles say, is it not?
Sure, their song does not totally correlate with the thoughts that are in my mind right now, but that line has been stuck on a loop in my brain.
For so many years, in so many ways, we are always told “do what makes you happy”, “don’t worry, be happy”, and so many other happiness phrases.
Lately, I’ve been really curious about that, the happiness thing. Especially when I look back.
Ya see, I just celebrated a birthday. And early that week I was forced to move photos around on hard drives to fix a computer issue and I caught myself looking back 10-15 years. Thinking about what made me happy then.
Then it happened, I slipped and fell down a rabbit hole.
And while down there, I realized a couple of things.
One, those were some fun years.
Two, the things that made them fun and brought happiness, as much as I am still chasing, don’t need to bring happiness now. And as a matter of fact, I don’t believe they do anyway.
So how do we give ourselves the permission to let go, to discover new, to shift paths? How do we learn to be a beginner again? And what is this happiness talk anyways?
And in those moments, I found myself reading posts from the Monks walking for peace. Things started to click in my mind, actually, I think they were deeper than that. They were in my soul, that quiet shadowy place we don’t go often.
What if we are constantly chasing the wrong thing. What if happiness is not what we should be setting as our goal? What if…. It’s peace?
Don’t get me wrong here, I do believe happiness and joy should be pillars to our days. Without peace though, do those two “things” really hold much weight? And if we have peace, wouldn’t that happiness and joy be something that hits harder, stays longer and doesn’t slip through our fingers as fast, leaving us back where we were just before?
And then, a new rabbit hole to fall into. Is this peace stuff a choice or something we learn?
Maybe, both?
For now, as I write this, I believe we first need to make the choice. A small quiet decision made in each moment.
Before we react, we breathe.
Before we lean into anger, stress, or fear, we choose what to do with them when they show up.
Then… Then I believe that’s something we start to learn. Once we make the choice, we learn how to keep making it. How to step back and from your own thoughts and battles, and how to practice the choice to find peace over and over again.
Let’s not believe for one second that this is an easy “choice”. An easy thing to do. Because it’s not.
But, if we are willing to put in the work and make the choice.
If we decide peace may just be something we could feel happier in. Then maybe it’s at that moment we realize peace is where happiness actually lives after all?
Who knows, maybe they’ve been there the whole time, holding hands, walking together?
I believe in you.
Till next time,
~Tim
