Life,
Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. It has been our national birthright, no?
And yet, pursuing happiness has led to so much misery. Debt, divorce, landfills
full of outdated/out-of-fashion goods, and plastic islands in the Pacific. We
pursue happiness as hard as we can, and yet it is the one thing that eludes us.
In 2010, I
stumbled across a video that has helped shape my perspective of happiness. Four
years later, I am amazed that it only has a little over 20,000 views! Please
take less than 7 minutes and watch this amazing talk!
So what
really makes us happy? I would like to put forth the concept of Abundance. The
Abundance principle is closely related to the miraculous principle of Gratitude. It is truly looking at our
life and everything in it as a gift and a wonder. Enjoying this moment and the
people we are with as a miracle. Appreciating what we have and not focusing on
what we lack. Abundance is sharing, appreciating, loving, serving, and being
loved and served. Abundance is not Spartan simplicity, nor excessive
consumption, but it lies in knowing what is enough. Abundance isn’t a lack of
striving, but in realizing the beauty of the journey, not just the end result.
And in some cosmic way, Abundance keeps giving. Living your life in Abundance
just keeps giving more abundance. The ability to notice the miracle of a
sunrise, a heart beat, a child’s face- these compound as you walk down the path
of Abundance.
How do you
get started down the path of Abundance, you might ask? The first thing would be
to take stock of what you have right now. Allow yourself to feel real gratitude
for those things- family, faith, freedom, health, friends, the beauty of
nature, etc. The second phase of Abundance involves selective editing of your
life. Remove those things that do not ‘spark joy’. For me, those items are
things that take too much of my life energy to maintain, clean, pay for; while
not giving a proportionate amount of joy. For me, kids= tons of work/tons of
joy! Big/fancy gadgets/houses/cars ≠ tons of joy, usually just tons of debt and
headache. This too is a process and doesn't happen overnight. Enjoy the journey! I'm not where I want to be, but I am happy for where I am. The third phase is actively seeking and striving for those things that do spark joy- service to others, exploring talents, enriching your spirituality, learning a new skill or pursuing a new career. These three phases can happen simultaneously and are all on a continuum. Remember that happiness will be found everyday on the path of these phases as you celebrate and appreciate life in all it's imperfect beauty!
May this
year be one of Simple Abundance for you and your loved ones! Cheers!!!
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