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The Happy Files: Epilogue

My friends, I have something great to announce: I am happy!

Yet I have a twinge in my chest as I announce that, because I am wise enough to know that such a feeling is usually fleeting in such a world as this, but what I resume to say that I have made certain changes and goals for myself that allow me to reach towards happiness on a daily minutia basis. My reservations about happiness include the knowledge that:

*The Christian life is not always filled with happiness, but instead pain, constant searching, a denial of self, and giving up of human urges to defend oneself and fight back for the sake of being Christ-like.

*Marriage does not = ultimate, immediate, or long-lasting happiness; nor do children.

*Family often produces more feelings of pain and heartache, and happiness regarding family is fleeting (in my case anyways)

*Opening your heart to friends and family is not always a happy experience, but if your goal is to do so, you must be confident in your feelings about yourself so you can bounce back in the light of an uncomfortable experience

*If nature and outside light bring you joy, what do you do during consecutive gloomy days?

*The world is falling, and we are right in the middle of it.

Happiness is indeed a choice. Some things that have made me happy have been downsizing; cleaning out my closet and donating, selling household items for cheaper than I might have normally, and being humble and satisfied with choosing to have less. Other things include studying Scripture to gain wisdom and insight into how to live a fulfilling life, donating my time to service, finding how I may be useful towards the service of greater good, accepting that life is pain and one must move on in spite of it, and striving to create  treasure-house of happy memories for my babies. Having a partner to share life with has been such a treasure and a gift, and I thank God that He sets an example of how to love unconditionally so we can copy this in our relationships. These things have made my heart glad.

The hardest but most satisfying thing I have been doing to be happy is opening my heart. I feel afraid and scared of what the receiver will make of me exposing myself, and my chest often aches when I am developing new friendships or reuniting with friends---what will they think of me and my life now? But I know and comfort myself with the fact that I am always striving to be better and to live my life so the Lord will call me a good and faithful servant. This is why I am happy though my heart aches. Happiness is not a feeling, it is a choice, just like love. Although they can have emotional counterparts, they are just as needy of receiving constant renewal on daily an hourly bases to be fruitful.

I wish you the best in your journeys of love and happiness. And thank you for sharing in mine :)

Love, Monica
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Comments

  1. Simple Single MomAugust 1, 2011 at 9:26 AM

    Wonderful post Monica. Its true, happiness is a choice we make day after day. Nothing outside of us can ever guarantee happiness. I'm really happy FOR you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Moni PadulaAugust 11, 2011 at 9:39 AM

    Thanks Ani!

    ReplyDelete

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