True happiness can't be found in a place or in another person. It can only be found within yourself. Truly believing this has been something that I have had a goal of doing over the past few months. It was something that I knew I could work on in myself.
At this point, I feel like I now have reason to believe this. I know that I am always growing, changing, and learning, but I can say for sure that I have accomplished this goal in my current state of life.
I also believe full happiness is an illogical goal to chase. It's just not possible to be entirely happy, all the time, about everything. Nor should we be. But quoting a piece of wall art I saw recently "life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."
Before I was to come home from Peace Corps, and even for the past several months I was pretty convinced I didn't want to continue to spend a lot more of my life in Jackson. But, as you have read in this blog, I have enjoyed my time back here more than I ever expected I would. Just the past five weeks for me have been more than unbelievable in the sense that my current life has randomly fallen into place. I have found the stability and the things that I had been searching for, plus more. Now, seemly overnight, I feel like there is no other place I should be right now than Jackson, Michigan.
Feeling happy from within means you can be happy where ever you go, and whoever you're with. Many of us think that once we get to that paradise-like place, or meet that one special person we are going to be happy. But vacations run their course, relationships can end, and at the end of the day we are only left with ourselves.
I have found that the more positive energy I put out the more positive energy I get back. Having worked with customers at Starbucks for five weeks now I find that the more genuinely happy I act toward them the more sincere interactions I get. For every 10 customers, one could be unpleasant and I am much more likely to harvest the good energy from the good nine rather than one who is having a bad day. I am beginning to find pleasure in such a wider variety of things, such as work. It may help having a job I love, but with a happy spirit, everything can be fun.
The journey of inner happiness can only be taken in your own way. Some may want to make it, some may not. My only wish for you is that if you want to find it you can have all the strength you need to do so.
At this point, I feel like I now have reason to believe this. I know that I am always growing, changing, and learning, but I can say for sure that I have accomplished this goal in my current state of life.
I also believe full happiness is an illogical goal to chase. It's just not possible to be entirely happy, all the time, about everything. Nor should we be. But quoting a piece of wall art I saw recently "life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."
Before I was to come home from Peace Corps, and even for the past several months I was pretty convinced I didn't want to continue to spend a lot more of my life in Jackson. But, as you have read in this blog, I have enjoyed my time back here more than I ever expected I would. Just the past five weeks for me have been more than unbelievable in the sense that my current life has randomly fallen into place. I have found the stability and the things that I had been searching for, plus more. Now, seemly overnight, I feel like there is no other place I should be right now than Jackson, Michigan.
Feeling happy from within means you can be happy where ever you go, and whoever you're with. Many of us think that once we get to that paradise-like place, or meet that one special person we are going to be happy. But vacations run their course, relationships can end, and at the end of the day we are only left with ourselves.
I have found that the more positive energy I put out the more positive energy I get back. Having worked with customers at Starbucks for five weeks now I find that the more genuinely happy I act toward them the more sincere interactions I get. For every 10 customers, one could be unpleasant and I am much more likely to harvest the good energy from the good nine rather than one who is having a bad day. I am beginning to find pleasure in such a wider variety of things, such as work. It may help having a job I love, but with a happy spirit, everything can be fun.
The journey of inner happiness can only be taken in your own way. Some may want to make it, some may not. My only wish for you is that if you want to find it you can have all the strength you need to do so.