The Pursuit of Happy-ness
Well hello out there… I sort of feel like I am in the middle of a sci-fi movie right now, don’t you?
It feels a bit like groundhog day every day.
The world has flipped upside down.
These times working for introverts instead of us having to stretch ourselves to fit into a world designed for extroverts.
The frenzied pace has all but halted for most other than those we now need to rely on for survival.
Hmm, how essential are the highest paid entertainers and athletes now?
More questions than answers regarding the state of our battered world. This slowing down, introspection and pausing is not new for me. I have sustained a form of this, not so restricted but necessary, confinement.
It lasted for over a year. A long time, though it seems hazy now as do most things that are extremely difficult.
A lot of time to think, truths that became hard to avoid as I had nowhere to turn but inward. Many of us are now forced to slow our days to portion them out in bits and bites instead of leaps and dashes. How does that feel for you?
Some find space to think, breathe, pause threatening, for some it is a blessing.
I found it similar to watching a scary movie of which I’m not a big fan. I was looking at my world through the slits of my fingers so I could just see pieces and not the whole picture.
Priorities.
What were mine?
Who was I truly at my core?
The type of questions you can avoid as you hustle and bustle through your very busy life, in your very busy job doing a lot of very busy things. As I rested, my body trying to recover from an illness that had decimated me, I felt the itch of these questions scratching at my mind. The world continued to whir around me and I was standing still. I no longer had a job that had defined me for years, my children were adults and my husband’s work was demanding and he was away a great deal. I was alone a lot and forced to avoid a lot of social contact. This is sounding familiar…
What I did learn is that I am deeply wanted and loved by God. I am rooted in this foundational truth so that no matter the circumstances of life, I will always be ok. When all is stripped away, I know at my core that I am here to serve. I try to live my life, daily, with that as my filter for all my decisions. I’ve learnt that in turning to others we will often be disappointed as I disappoint, because we are just humans. We say the wrong thing, at the wrong time or worse nothing at all. So I’ve learnt to extend grace and not be so hard on myself and those around me. The whole point is I am not perfect and striving for the elusive feeling of validation is just that elusive. I have recognized my priorities are supporting those I love and serving, not necessarily pursuing what I thought I desired. Gratitude for all that I was given is a daily practice. I am a work in progress.
So my wish for you in this time of respite from the chaos of our world is that you too may accept the challenge of those whispers.
Who are you?
What were you created for?
Take the space, embrace it!
My hope is that we use this time to strengthen our faith, our love and our belief in all good. Flourish in your pursuit of happy-ness! Maybe the world will come out of this right side up.
