Be happy

Be happy. This is what every human on our great little planet aspires to. I say "great" when I think of the approximately eight billion human lives it supports and an even greater number of living organisms that evolve here. And "little" in terms of the size of the Universe. Be happy. According to my dictionary, the adjective happy means: “enjoying or characterized by well-being and contentment.” Quite simply... But being happy certainly isn’t that simple. My grandfather often told me that certain words shouldn’t exist. And among those, there was this one: Happy. And happiness too... When I asked him why, he invariably replied that no one could “be happy” or “enjoy happiness” in the sense that the continual aspect expressed by these terms was impossible. According to him, too many people longed for a state of happiness that would remain constant throughout their lives. He said that one could only enjoy “moments of happiness.”

We can agree with him or not, but we must (all the same) admit that his way of seeing things is defensible... I even wonder if the true meaning of these words, happy and happiness, isn’t precisely that: More or less, a long state of mind that makes us appreciate life. I’m well aware that I’m dabbling in cheap philosophy today, but I can't help that I’ve had this kind of thought for some time. Is it the tense international situation that we’re experiencing at the moment or the effects of the two years of pandemic that we’ve experienced that are responsible? I can’t say... What I do know, however, is that the ambient atmosphere leads to gloom. Whether from the various media that I consult or in what emerges from conversations between friends, it seems to me that there’s only one state of mind...

What’s happening to us suddenly? Again, I have no intention of spouting cheap philosophy today, but I'm still wondering about this time we live in, trying to find answers to my questions. Like you, I'm sure. That said, I have the firm intention of adopting what my grandfather told me and trying to appreciate all the moments that life offers. From small pleasures to big ones, from happy moments to ecstatic ones, even when mixed with a bit of chaos or sorrow, I’ll try to appreciate them all for what they are, that is, being part of life and not going too high or too low, depending on the circumstances. And why not? Maybe we all can take inspiration from this thought by the American philosopher and writer Elbert Hubbard: “Happiness is a habit — cultivate it.”

In closing, I wish you a week full of goals achieved and many moments of happiness. Blessings always.

P.S.: I think you “missed a path” some time ago. I hope it doesn’t bother you to hear it, but I don’t think that, right now, you’re living the happy life you deserve.