Happiness

I don’t think happiness should be a word that can be universally defined. Confined to the limits of a concept that a group of minds decided some time was their idea of joy. I don’t particularly enjoy writing about something I don’t fully understand but I can try. Happiness to me is understanding and acceptance. It is not dependent on circumstance or the presence of anything or a particular person. It is knowing that no matter how bad things seem they could always worsen, and not permitting this thought to burden or add to one’s disconcertion, but rather allowing the assertion of this knowledge to not make one nervous, but hopeful instead. I may not have a 5 course meal but I’m happy with bread. In my past happiness meant looking ahead. The dread that diurnally filled me eternally killed me from the inside out. When I was told I would amount to the head count of an empty room. That my poems were paramount to a bristleless broom. Useless. Happiness to me is avoiding the excuses that might enter my thinking. Fending off the urge that compels me to stop and not diverge into the never ending labyrinth and stroll amidst the hyacinths without the slightest inkling or clue of what to say or what to do. It is the ability to make into reality not the one I have meticulously planned but the one that is currently unfolding, that is present, that is now. Knowing it will not always be pleasant, but, rest assured, some way, somehow, without a doubt we will emerge the victors in this bout that we call life. Regardless of our pains, anguishes, sorrows, or our worries, griefs, and strife, we will rise from the black of the ashes of tragic mishappens in glorious fashion and shine brighter than ever before. Because when life crashes around us we do not seek to restore what we already had, we do not attempt to make good from the bad, we leave good in the past, and in peace may it rest, and from it’s broken pieces we form better and best. Happiness to me is the free spirit within that longs for the warmth of the sun and the chill of the breeze. For the bliss of the song that the rain sings as it falls through the leaves of the trees. For the gentle undulations you feel as our Earth Mother breathes beneath our feet. Happiness to me is driving hours on end and suspending all of life's trivial tasks and not looking back as you search for the perfect river to leap into allowing the energy of life to seep into your soul. Happiness to me is knowing that the lonely coyote never grows old, just more wise and more slow. Happiness to me is the ability to exude the energy of a rose. Head high and receptive to both sunlight and rain with thorns to guard their heart from unneeded pain. Kind and care free with the unique ability to bond with others through unusual ties. It is the uncommon capacity to always find a way to make others smile. Happiness to me is not giving up on your dreams. Allowing your talent and influence to better this world. Leaving your mark and making sure that you’re heard. Happiness to me is staying focused and driven, living intentionally so that potentially all of your goals come to fruition. Happiness to me is trust in intuition. The head and the heart may lie but the spirit sees through a different eye and can discern which paths on this adventure are worth the venture and time. Happiness to me is creativity and art. In this crazy world of ours it is our escape and our deliverance. No wonder then the word art is an antonym for ignorance. My happiness is in large part influenced by the people around me. So to those who surround me thank you for bringing me joy. Happiness is the essence of a heart that is pure. It is life. It is joy. It is love. It is light. Happiness to me is a choice, not a right. And I choose to write. When I seek to be happy that’s what I do. So the question, I guess, is: what is happiness to you?