Stumbling on Happiness

When you are working on a path to a happier, healthier life, you must always keep in mind that no matter where you are in life physically, mentally or spiritually every moment of the day offers you an opportunity to learn something new about yourself, the world, and others.

We are always on a continual journey of growth and learning. It is also important, however, to understand that you will never have all the answers and to not feel bad if maybe you believe you have not conducted yourself in the way you wished you could have in retrospect. We are all doing the very best we can in any moment given where we have been and what we know about life and ourselves.

They are the strangers you meet everyday, they are your family members, they are your co-workers. Open your eyes and your heart wider everyday and you will be able to see their wings with more clarity and strength.

It my firm belief that all people are good and that it is a lack of understanding, knowledge or various other factors that propel people to do things that might not be the best decision or act that could have been taken. But these choices do not make a person bad or another person better. It simply is a reflection of a person's position in life. In other words, that person may know many things that another person doesn't, but in another situation their poor choices reveal a need to learn much surrounding the details of that particular incident. It is a simple equation of have versus have not with regard to knowledge.

While it is very common to label another person based off his or her actions, I believe that it is important to instead bring understanding and compassion to light regarding the behavior of others. For example, just because you have done things in life you may not be proud of this does not encapsulate and define who you are as a person in a holistic sense. We have all done something we are not entirely proud of in our lives. This again, I believe is due to a lack of knowledge rather than from a place of ill intentions. For it is also my sincere belief that all people want to feel good and if a person had greater knowledge at the time he or she would have chosen the option that would have made him or her feel their best. Doing good things, makes a person feel good, period.

Maybe you disagree? After all, why would a woman return over and over again to an abusive partner? Or why would someone keep making the same relationship mistakes? If people want to only feel their best, would it not logically make sense that they would not return to situations that hurt them? It would appear so, but only on the surface.

It is clear through observation and understanding that people find comfort in the familiar. We all know that someone who reaches for that Starbucks coffee drink first thing in the morning or jogs at the same time everyday. We are creatures of habit. This is why children often listen to the same song over and over again. The familiar brings comfort to the disorder in the world that we often face; to the unpredictable, yet ironically systematic chaos we encounter on a day to day basis.

For these people who return to the familiar that in turn hurts them as well, we need to offer compassion, love, understanding and kindness in order to lift them to a higher place. When we do this, we are simultaneously learning how to give a greater depth of all these same elements to ourselves and our loved ones as well. It is a gift we bestow upon our lives. We cannot help another person without helping ourselves; it is impossible. We treat others how we treat ourselves and vices versa. What we give to others is what we ultimately bring to our lives.

As it is commonly known, forgiveness is invaluable to your spirit; when you forgive others it is both healing and crucial to your well being, so too is it also to provide an array of kind affections to others. While much of this article is logical and practical, I have found that when I am reminded of such things, they become reinforced in my mind and in my life to a greater, more solidified degree.

Take care of yourself and each other. Best wishes to all.