Happiness

Some food for thought from quotes I've read recently about happiness ...

The great problem in the United States is not repression or neurosis, which it was in Europe when Freud wrote about everything. No, the great problem here is not repression. It's narcissism and addiction.

Those are our great problems in the United States because Tom Jefferson set us up. ‘Life, Liberty and the… Pursuit of Happiness!'

If you pursue happiness directly, it evades you. But you feel entitled to it… It's wonderful, but it has a dark side. And the dark side is addiction.
We have done a dance with addiction in this country from the very beginning." – Dr. Richard D. Grant


"It's pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness; poverty and wealth have both failed." - Frank McKinney Hubbard


"Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness.
It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." - Hellen Keller

"Many consider it happiness to possess and enjoy what they long for,
and they consider everyone else unhappy. But those they believe unhappy think the same of them." - Baltasar Gracian (1638)

"You've got to ask!
Asking is, in my opinion, the world's most powerful -- and neglected -- secret to success and happiness. - Percy Ross

Where Does an Apple Best Enjoy Life?

“Help.”
Blueberry looked to see where that voice came from. She was surprised to see an apple clinging to a branch in the blueberry bush.
“What are you doing here?” She asked.
Apple shot back, “Why are you asking me that, you’re always hanging around in this bush.”
Blueberry paused a second after hearing the tone of Apple’s voice. “Yes, I do,” she said.
“If it works for you, why not me?” Apple asked.
“Well, how’s it working for you?” Blueberry asked. (borrowing a line she had heard somewhere)
“I could see how happy you were from my tree, so I wanted to be here too. It was okay at first - seeing the world from a different vantage point and all.” Apple said. “But now, I’m frustrated and don’t understand why.”
“There’s things here to enjoy,” Blueberry said, “look, there’s Mother Mouse taking food to her babies. If you wiggle over to the right you can see the nest - what a work of art it is!”
Apple shuddered, “Mice, I don’t want to see mice or their nest! The nest is ugly and they’re huge, I enjoyed them better when I saw them from ten feet away.”
Blueberry tried again, “Wait till Friday - you might enjoy it then. We have fun playing dodgegrass.”
“Dodgegrass?” Apple questioned.
“Yes,” Blueberry excitedly explained, “we get a great workout dodging the grass blowing from the mower as Boy mows along the garden. This week should be a blast - he’s a few days late cutting it and the grass is extra long.”
Apple silently wondered why that would be fun - she preferred hanging in the tree and swaying with the breezes. Plus, she didn’t like the noise of the mower when up in the tree, she moaned thinking about how loud it would be down here.
Noticing that the things she enjoyed were only causing Apple more stress, Blueberry wondered if maybe Apple wasn’t taking care of herself. Questioning her about it only brought more complaints.
“Taking care of myself? I wish I could, but these branches aren’t doing their job to help me. I think there’s something wrong with them!” Apple replied. “If something doesn’t change, I’ll wilt away to nothing.
As Apple said these things, Blueberry realized nothing here was going to satisfy Apple - they seemed to be made for different places in the world.
Apple was quiet for a time, then said, “Maybe I’m not enjoying it here, because this isn’t the place for me after all. Maybe I made a mistake coming here. It just dawned on me how much I like heights and I miss seeing the birds and their nest.”
Now it was Blueberry’s turn to shudder - why would anyone miss a bird? She was always hoping all the birds miss her.
Blueberry and Apple talked about how being aware of their own likes and dislikes could help them understand the place that worked best for them in life. They also realized by doing that they could benefit others better. After Apple climbed back to her tree, she saw Boy on the couch not feeling too well. After talking with Blueberry, they both spent time conserving their own fragrance. Later, when the house door opened and their combined sweet fragrance was carried in by the wind, Boy asked his Mother for some fruit to eat. The nutrition from it soon had him feeling better and Blueberry got ready for a fun afternoon of dodgegrass.

Growing

Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure

nor this thing nor that

but simply growth.
We are happy when we are growing.

-William Butler Yeats

So many people walk around with a meaningless life.
They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things.

The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others,

devote yourself to your community around you,

and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

- Morrie Schwartz