H is for Happiness

I'm having a really hard time trying to think of an H post for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. I know I want to talk about happiness but...happiness is such an elusive subject. Every time I think I've pinned down my ideas, they scatter.

Of course I'm having a difficult time in general with focusing myself today. It's not helping.



I find that happiness is most often something we discover when looking back on things. "I was happy then" is something I'm sure we've all said to ourselves at one time or another.



Rarely do I stop in the middle of a moment and say to myself "I am happy right now".



I try to find those moments, I truly do. And from time to time I am fortunate enough to be able to say those very words.



But like so many good things in life, you can't hold onto happiness. It's not something you can put in a box or a cage. When you try to close your fist around it and hold it tight in order to observe or dissect it, you find yourself empty-handed.



So it's best to let it flow.



To create a welcome environment for it, so that it may come in and stay a while.



To surround yourself with things that bring you pleasure, whatever they may be. No matter how simple they are.



To engage in work you like to do, even if it's not the work that provides your daily bread. Writing isn't what I make money from, nor is cooking. But they are two things that bring me peace and contentment.



Loving provides that as well. I'm not getting paid to love. But love is where I find the most happiness.  And I'm lucky to have so much of it in my life.


I think that knowing and appreciating love creates happiness as well.  Gratitude reminds you of all you have to be happy about, and that just creates - you guessed it! - more happiness.  Because once you get the ball rolling you start seeing miracles in the most random places.  In the most ordinary things.  And if you have that sense of gratitude in you, it becomes second nature to rejoice in life.


What makes YOU happy?

**EDIT!** Just a moment ago, I was covering the front desk, which I HATE doing.  But the Good Lord sent a message my way.  A guy called, looking for our former human resources manager.  I explained that she was no longer with the company.  He told me that he had just found her wallet at the mall and when he got back to work he looked her up online.  As luck would have it she still has this company listed as her place of employment on LinkedIn.  He gave me his number and I contacted her to give her the message.  She was just about to start cancelling her credit cards and was totally shocked that someone went through the trouble of finding her.  See, there are good people in the world.  And I'm happy to have been reminded of that!