Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Happyness

Memorial Day, I went with my family to my uncle and aunt’s home for a barbecue. After some swimming, dodge-ball type games and food we watched the Pursuit of Happyness. I liked the movie because Mr. Gardener was committed to finding a better lifestyle. Even with the situation he was in he worked hard and gave up sleep and conveniences to make him self better and wanted to take care of his son. I started thinking about what happiness is to me and how I seek to achieve it.

For me, happiness is a decision I make. This is a difficult thing. It is like forgiveness. Happiness is serving someone else because I love them. Happiness is living worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Happiness is having a balanced work load at my job that keeps me busy but doesn’t overwhelm me. Happiness is feeling genuinely appreciated and receiving a sincere compliment. Happiness is feeling needed, respected and admired. Happiness is seeing someone else grow and succeeding in their dreams. Happiness is not sitting around pouting and thinking I am rejected or being punished or that I have such a hard life. Expressing frustrations and disappointments can help let got of unhappiness. I have very much to be grateful for, remembering this is another task. I have noticed that when I have been happy and then found a new level of happiness and then become accustomed to that level, to then loose that is very painful.

Achieving happiness is something to work at. There is a great quote that I was given about five years ago that illustrates this idea of diligently perusing a desire, in this case it is happiness. The quote is by Vaughn J. Featherstone. I think it is awesome and I try to read it almost every day.


“When you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it. To work day and night for it. To give up your peace and your sleep and your time for it. If only the desire of it makes you aim strong enough to never tire of it. If life seems all empty and useless without it. And all that you dream and you scheme is about it. If gladly you’ll sweat for it, fret for it, plan for it, pray with all your strength for it. If you’ll simply go after the thing that you want with all your capacity, strength, and sagacity, faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity. If neither poverty, nor cold, nor famish, nor gaunt, nor sickness of pain to body or brain can turn you away from the aim that you want. If dogged and grim, you besiege and beset it, you’ll get it.”

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