"The time to be happy is now, the place to be happy is here, the way to be happy is to make others so."
Do you know anyone who will be happy tomorrow? You know, as in "when I graduate from high school and get on my own I will be happy."
When I get to college I will be happy.
When I get the job I want -- that will make me happy.
When I get married I will be happy.
When I have children, I will be happy.
When I become a manager or supervisor I will be be happy.
When I get the bigger and better job I will be happy.
When I retire I will be happy.
Do you have a baby? Maybe a young child. Are you always wishing for them to be in the next stage? You know, sleeping thought the night, out of the terrible two's, out of daycare, out of preschool, out of elementary, out of high school . . . And before you know it you have wished away every stage.
There are so many quotes to remind us to not only live in the moment but to enjoy it, love it. Carpe diem. Seize the day. Once a minute is gone we can never get it back.
But for many it is impossible to do.
Sometimes we have a tendency to play the victim, and so we defer our happiness. We start imagining those perfect times in our lives when we will finally be happy.
And then, just as fast as a baby becomes an adult, the days blur by and happiness never comes for some.
The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so.
It is the last part of that quote that is the key. If we focus on making others happy, then we move off all of the reasons or things in our lives that make us unhappy.
I am lucky. I have had this quote in front of me for at least the last 30 years. I have posted it in every classroom I had when I was a teacher, in every office as a principal, and in my wallet.
It has been a wonderful reminder to serve others, every day. And in doing so, I have learned to never wish away even one day, even the very difficult ones. I have loved every day and every stage of my daughter's life, and still do now that she is an adult. It is such a blessing to be a mother, to be a wife, to have been a teacher, and to be a principal.
I have loved every classroom I had the privilege to hold the hopes and dreams of my students and my families, and I have loved every day of being a principal. even the tragic ones.
For if we can continue to serve others, and make their lives better by living in the moment, the good ones and the bad, then we don't wait for the next minute, hour, day or the next stage of our lives to be happy.
"The time to be happy is now, the place to be happy is her, and the way to be happy is to serve others."
What a wonderful way to live life!
Exactly right! It really works!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your positive reinforcement.
DeleteExactly right! It really works!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice...I love to be happy, but pray, too through the difficult seasons. xo nanc
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your positive input and for taking the time to write. Prayer is a powerful guide.
DeleteSome people are never happy with what they have. They go through their life, thinking they'll eventually find happiness, but it never comes. What a terrible way to live.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your perspective on this. Great piece!
Thanks, Stacey. I agree. There is a great country song-- i am a fan-- that sings "we all want what we ain't got." And then life slips away from us. Thanks again for commenting.
DeleteThank you for sharing this. It is so powerful, so true, so easy, yet hard to believe. It is so freeing once you realize how to make it happen and believe it in your heart and soul.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alleen, for your feedback. I appreciate you sharing your beliefs also.
DeleteYour post really resonates with me. I'm at a place in my life with lots of transition-- my son is leaving home to go away to college in August, and my parents, who are older, are starting to have some health issues. It makes me very aware of the passage of time. I love your quote. Have you read the book The Three Questions? It is a Tolstoy short story rewritten by Jon Muth. It is very similar to the three parts of your quote. I appreciate your sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the book suggestion. I am always looking for a good book to read. Life's transitions are so difficult-- I remember my daughter going to college. Even today I have a difficult time going into her room, filled with so many happy childhood memories. I appreciate you sharing. Hang in there with these new phases in your life.
DeleteYour post really resonates with me. I'm at a place in my life with lots of transition-- my son is leaving home to go away to college in August, and my parents, who are older, are starting to have some health issues. It makes me very aware of the passage of time. I love your quote. Have you read the book The Three Questions? It is a Tolstoy short story rewritten by Jon Muth. It is very similar to the three parts of your quote. I appreciate your sharing!
ReplyDelete