An old friend sent me that quote today. I've subscribed to a different version of it, "Life's a journey…, " but never heard the same applied to happiness. And yet, how obviously appropriate.
What the heck does it mean to be happy anyway? Accordingly to Webster's, to be happy - by definition of mood - means:
1. delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing: to be happy to see a person.2. characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy: a happy mood; a happy frame of mind.
So how happy are people really? According to the Center for Disease Control, about 12% of the country is on some form of anti-depressant. 12% percent of the country? Yikes. And yet a more disturbing statistic, according to CBS Atlanta, is that 70% of this country are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half receive at least two prescriptions. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic, the non-profit medical and research center, report that antibiotics, antidepressants and painkiller opioids are the most common prescriptions given to Americans. Clearly, serious forms of depression and mental health challenges need to be treated and addressed. However, I have got to imagine not everyone taking all this medication is on an equal playing field. I've known plenty of people on anti-depressants who are not clinically depressed. So let me separate out the non-seriously ill people and focus on those just needing to "find their happiness."
So how happy are people really? According to the Center for Disease Control, about 12% of the country is on some form of anti-depressant. 12% percent of the country? Yikes. And yet a more disturbing statistic, according to CBS Atlanta, is that 70% of this country are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half receive at least two prescriptions. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic, the non-profit medical and research center, report that antibiotics, antidepressants and painkiller opioids are the most common prescriptions given to Americans. Clearly, serious forms of depression and mental health challenges need to be treated and addressed. However, I have got to imagine not everyone taking all this medication is on an equal playing field. I've known plenty of people on anti-depressants who are not clinically depressed. So let me separate out the non-seriously ill people and focus on those just needing to "find their happiness."
Let's assume at our core, everyone wants to be happy. Gretchen Rubin has lead a movement starting with her best-seller "The Happiness Project." Oprah hosted numerous shows on this topic. There are lots of so-called happiness experts popping up. With so many people seeking treatment, there sure seems to be a huge market to address it from a non-medical perspective. But how do we find our own happiness?
The guy I used to be married to once told me, "I don't think you will ever be happy." That was one of the comments that made me realize it was the beginning of the end for us. It proved to me after almost two decades, he still didn't totally understand me. I've always been a pretty happy person. What he confused that with was satisfaction and personal challenge. Ever since he made the comment, however, it's made me acutely aware of exactly how happy I am. Or, at least how I interpret happiness.
For me, I consider the different dimensions of my life. My kids. My work. My relationships. (love, friends, family) My health. My interest/project/challenge of the moment. All those things need to be in balance, or at least prioritized consciously.
And then I add in important, gut-level infrastructure that supports all of this and allows it to happen. My attitude. My humor. My sense of fun. And, of course, one of my biggest drivers, my passion.
All these things are interconnected for me. I think about them often, and when something is off-kilter, I work hard to rebalance it. I suppose I am not unlike the classic Mustangs my brother worked so hard to rebuild and restore when he was in high school. The outer shell might look pretty good, but you have to really know its unique inner workings to understand how to make it function at its peak. I've figured out that formula for myself at this point in my life. Shockingly, it's not all that complex. Maybe I myself am a little complex, but the formula isn't. I just need to fuel all those pieces. That is what keeps me happy.
So yes, I agree. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. I love that my journey continues to have lots of twists and turns, and is never fully in balance. It keeps things interesting and challenging. And, thankfully, there is so much good in my life, there is always something to be happy about.
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