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Happiness
When people are asked if they are happy about life in general, there is often a momentary pause, a period of introspection before replying. Of course, if they had just experienced a triumphant event such as in winning a medal in the Olympics or a large sum of money, they do not hesitate to respond in the affirmative. However, most people seem not to know if they are happy in any given moment of time.
What is happiness? Pure pleasure, ecstasy and unbridled joy we can understand and acknowledge during the moments when we are experiencing them. But what does it take to say that we are happy during times when nothing out of the ordinary is happening? For surely, that takes more than just the realization of the perception of invigorating and pleasurable stimuli, more than just the awareness of the present. It takes a certain amount of stillness, a certain amount of transcendence.
Is happiness freedom from want, from pain, stress, fatigue and discomfort? Not necessarily, for there are times when we can be tired, uncomfortable and even in pain and yet be happy. For example, after having accomplished a great deed such as in times of war, by being heroic during disaster, courageous under pressure, and after succeeding in a worthy goal such as in saving a life or helping the needy, we can still be happy regardless of our personal pain and discomfort. People can lose their limbs, their health and their fortunes, and yet be happy if they feel that their sacrifice was worth their loss.
Is happiness to be always ecstatic, constantly stimulated by activities and even drugs, alcohol and other substances? We all know that that is a dead-end street. There is no true happiness there.
True happiness comes from being of value, coupled with the awareness of that value. Without a sense of self-value, we can only consider ourselves worthless to the world, a life with no purpose or meaning. There can be no happiness in such a state. That is why there is nothing so offensive as when one's value is questioned, whether it's one's work or one's character in general.
But how does one value a person? How is a person valued in this world?
There is a perception by some that the value of a person lies in his material wealth. Because money is a measure of material value, the reasoning is that the more money one has, the more value there is in the person who has the money. Of course, it doesn't take long for that person to discover that people who seem to value him doesn't really, he's just there for the ride. There can be no happiness if there is no sense of personal value; he must be valued for what he is, not for what he has.
Some try to be of value by having power, the power to make or break others, the power to conquer countries, create empires, rule conglomerations and take over corporations. They think that if they are feared and respected, they are of value to the world. However, they come to realize, hopefully, that happiness come from being loved, not from being feared. Value comes from sharing freely, from being together in unity hand in hand, not from lording it over others, taking and conquering at will.
So how does one become a person who is truly valued? And to whom should we be valuable?
One can be valued by those immediately around us, and yet be hated and reviled by a larger group. A notable example is Hitler, who was loved and valued by his supporters and many people in his country during his time, and yet detested and condemned by the world ever since. And conversely, there are people who were persecuted by those around them and yet remain a paragon of virtue valued greatly for their teachings, across the world and throughout history, Jesus being a good example of that instance.
When the goal is temporal and material, one can achieve value in the immediate surroundings, ignoring the spiritual goals of eternity. People have done this many times, creating an empire of material wealth surrounded by fawning sycophants intent solely on enriching themselves and their friends, ignoring the plight of the sickly and destitute upon which they laid their stepping stones to opulence. They may be valued by their shallow friends but will have no lasting value in the larger picture of the world, the universe and of time. Do they have happiness? I don't think so.
To be truly happy, sometimes one has to go beyond the company of those who seek transient values. Perhaps not physically, for often they are everywhere, but in mind and soul. To do things of eternal value, rather than transient value, is the key to happiness. To act in the Now reflecting the timeless values of Eternity, to act as One for the enrichment of All is to be of supreme value, and in that lies supreme happiness. To know that one's life is of value to the entire universe in all of space and time is surely sufficient grounds to consider one's self happy.
But even in happiness, one can still weep for those who choose to wallow in the soul stunting ways of transient self-gratification. As we set our sights for the stars, there will be those around us who continue to grovel around in the mud. Try to help them, pray for them, but keep
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