Happiness, Honesty, and Respect
This past month or so has given me a lot of time for introspection. Here’s what I’ve discovered about the importance of seeking happiness, being honest with myself, and respecting others. Forgive me if it sounds preachy.
Happiness
There are very few things in this world that you can be proven to exist without a shadow of a doubt. Happiness is one of them, and I should exploit this fact. Religion, race, fame, politics, money – they’re all just things. Happiness is an experience.
That moment of zen when the sun peeks over the horizon or the thrill of a blast through all the gears. These are what life is about. These little things bring richness and meaning to my life. I need to give experiences my upmost respect and eliminate the distractions. When I find a good song, tune everything else out and just listen. Never sacrifice joy for the sake of productivity.
Honesty
I can’t force happiness. Happiness is an old emotion, and I can’t trick myself into thinking I’m happy. There are times when I might try to pretend I’m happy just to save face, but now I realize this is futile. I think the best advice was given in the movie Rounders: “Throw in your cards the moment you know they can’t win”. There’s also the old saying: “No matter how far down the wrong path you’ve gone, turn back now!”. I spend enough time banging my head against the wall – why make it worse? Of course, the hard part is realizing I’m on the wrong path in the first place. I’ve got to always be alert. Complacency is dangerous.
Respect
We all find happiness in our own way. If we all want to make it in this life, we’ve got to understand this. We have to give each other the same respect we’d appreciate ourselves. Stop judging and start supporting. If a friend likes something you do not, support them, and try to experience it with them. You never know what will spark your interest, but at the least, you’ll make someone happy and strengthen your friendship.
Finally, with happiness comes sadness. Sadness presents itself in the most unexpected ways. Bad circumstances encourage bad behavior, and we’re all susceptible to this. Never assume sadness or anger or selfishness is a fault in a person’s character. We can never imagine some of the things others have gone through.
What a wonderful world it would be if we gave into happiness instead of greed? Unfortunately, greed is easy to give in to, but happiness is something you have to fight for.
