At times I'm delusional. Whether
thats good or bad is questionable.
Slowly we find our place on earth.
Identifying what's best for us - the
things, people, and places that in
theory make us happy. Figuring
out said personal sweet spot can
take some a lifetime to discover.
Sadly many never get there. Which
bodes the question why?! What is
holding them back from happiness
and/or fulfillment? Who bears the
responsibility for finding nirvana?
Many think money and possessions
are the keys to said kingdom. And
I'll admit that for a period of my life
I thought that accumulating "stuff"
would fill all gaps. However over the
years I've realized that the majority
of the most unhappy people I've ever
known had more than enough and yet
were the most miserable of all of us.
Ultimately it's not what one has that
brings fulfillment. There are many
other factors that put some of us in a
substantially better place than others.
There are no perfect families nor
friendships. Often what appears
to be perfection is deeply flawed
beneath the surface. No matter
how much we try, some of us are
never going to be happy. Those
are the people who use excuses
to place the blame for all of their
problems onto someone else.
Shifting the responsibility for our
life's paths onto others only defers
the inevitable. And in the end one
is still left holding one's bag.
The simple reality is that we're each
responsible for ourselves. Therefore
every decision, thought, or action we
take is ours alone. The only reason
some are unhappy is because they
choose to be so. Whatever the point
of view, it ultimately distorts one's
perspective on the world at large.
Hence if you purposefully tint your
windows - your world will appear
rather shady and gloomy. Whereas
if you're truly Miss Merry Sunshine -
one's outlook can only be bright.
How did we suddenly become a culture
of blame? In the old days you accepted
your lot in life and moved on. While it
wasn't always pretty, many overcame
seemingly insurmountable obstacles on
their way to a better place. What little
we had was deeply appreciated as were
those we shared it with. We embraced
each other for both our good and bad
sides. And even if the adage "never
complain, never explain" may seems
a bit archaic in our touchy feely world,
it worked. Even now it still is what it is.
Could it be that we all have too much
of a good thing? With living standards
far above almost any other culture, the
majority of Americans are miserable.
Have we come to the point where our
expectations are beyond any semblance
of reality? Is anybody's life perfect?
Who doesn't suffer the consequences of
their actions or never makes mistakes?
And was there ever a place where some
weren't bad while others were good? Is
it possible to achieve the impossible?
Is our sense of entitlement over inflated?
Rather than regret it's time to celebrate.
Instead of being stuck in the past now
is the time to move on to the future.
Most of those that have - have not. The
only way to happiness is to enjoy what
we have here and now. And whether we
realize it or not, chances are we've got
more than enough positive influences
around us to last a lifetime. So stop
and smell the roses. Step into the light.
Focus on what's right not wrong. And
know that tomorrow will be even better.
AFTER ALL, IT'S ALL UP TO YOU!
