Where Does Happiness Come From?

As a citizen of the United States of America, you are privileged with the right to pursue happiness.  But, what exactly are we seeking?  Where does happiness come from?

Happiness is an idea.  It is not something we can touch or see, it is an emotion, a feeling.  Like most feelings, happiness can be fragile.  One moment it's there and the next it can vanish.  I've often wondered if it is possible to feel happy and sad at the same time.  Or, what are we when we are in between feeling happy and sad?

Happiness is not something that can be bought.  We can not ask for extra happiness from a menu, or order happiness through amazon.com.  We can however decide to engage more with our sources of happiness.

The reason happiness may seem so elusive is that every person has his or her own things that make them happy.  Here are some of mine:

Appreciation, laughter, family, friends, feeling of victory, being, existing, understanding, hope, opportunity, memories

Rather than seek an idea, why not spend more time engaging in your sources of happiness?  I may not know where happiness comes from, but I do know what makes me happy, and maybe, just maybe, that is all I really need to understand.

Waiting For Your Calling

Are you waiting?  Have you ever wondered when the golden hand will pick you and solve all your fears?

Well, I have.  As nonsensical as this sounds, I used to fantasize about being a movie star like Tom Cruise or Russell Crowe.  I was just waiting for the moment when a famous director would walk by me on the street and decide to make me a star in his or her latest box office buster.

That's how movie stars are made right?  Except, not really.  Show business is notoriously one of the hardest industries to break in to and emerge successful.  Actors read thousands of scripts and take hundreds of auditions before landing the leading gig.

But, waiting for that chance encounter may not be the wisest use of our limited time.  Sometimes, you have to make your luck.  Sometimes, you have to make the call, go to the audition, ask for the job.

I'm not waiting for my calling any longer, because I'm the one making the call.