by titus james

Created on: December 13, 2006   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

Happiness is Happy in and of itself; even the pronunciation of the word engenders a feeling of being it. But what does it mean to be Happy and is being Happy what we should be striving for?

Dictionary.com defines the word "Happy" five different ways but the most accurate in my opinion says Happy is "delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing". I think this definition is most appropriate when we hone in on the words "particular thing". To me, "particular" connotes something exclusive and subjective dependent upon the person. And "thing" leads us to believe that it is tangible, material, finite but at the same time could very well be intangible and infinite. I think if we group it all together we are mostly left with something that doesn't seem to be enduring or lasting. And when I think about how I may feel when I'm Happy, I can't help but re-member that regardless of what I am Happy about it eventually fades into another emotion.

My life thus far has been one heaven of a hellish journey - I said that to purposely show its dichotomy. On this path, learning has been more about re-membering what I was already born knowing. So after a period of seeking and seeking some more, I have finally come to the space where it's more about singling out the un-truths than searching for the truth that never left home to begin with. Having come to that realization, I believe it feels good to be Happy but it's more beneficial to be at Peace.

A sunny day, a nite out on the town, a new shirt to wear or weekend trip are all wonderful and healthy for us as humans but they only induce fleeting feelings of satisfaction- call it Happy. But what about those cold and rainy mornings, a day scarred by a scratchy throat, a fender bender or some unexpected so-called bad news? In these instances, being Happy is quite a task and Sadness or Frustration come calling. But being at Peace, first, could quite possibly bring some semblance of Happiness back or at the very least leave you, still, in Peace. Being Happy is dependent upon conditions, which is fine. But Peace is the 'one size fits all' feeling without an emotional face, it's a state of mind.

Don't worry be Happy; know the reasons why and understand how to get back to that place in case you lose it. But go a step further and see Happiness for the fair-weather friend that it is, not really caring whether she returns or not because your best friend til the end is Peace.

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