Seeing Happiness Clearer
What makes you happy? Trauma often helps people see deep and clearer to the answer. Has your pain helped you in this way?
Beautiful, spectacular, millionaire, powerful - Are these desires making me happy? Our culture sees happiness grounded in material wealth/success and romantic, perfect relationships. We see what glitters and shines on the surface, not realizing that over time the plated surfaces of precious happiness wears off and we are left with valueless, common, dull metal. Over time 'things' stop making us happy, they are not what they once seemed to be.
We live in the shallow part of life, obsessing with stuff, promotions, and good times. No matter how much we accumulate, it never is the last thing we need, and the raise is never enough to not hope for more. Like a helium balloon that looses it fullness and ability to float, our accumulation of events, people and possessions begin to feel like a lead balloon, which we ultimately part with looking for the next high flying experience.
Once we realize, "You stopped making me happy!, " our relationships and contentment disintegrates as a pillar of salt fades to dust. We run and grasp for things we desire, objects of our craving heart. We dart from the newest, latest and best as though we were shopping for bargains on the wee morning hours of black Friday. We want our dreams to fly and to have a soul mate to soar with in life.
When our building-block world crumbles down like a toddler running through our masterpiece of life, we finally look up with tears stinging our weary, red eyes looking for answers and help. Is happiness ever rock solid, absolute, and time-tested? Have you not seen over and over in life that it is through the agony of heartbreak people see deeper values?
I have heard more than one survivor say, "I have my priorities straight" or "I now know what is important in life." Haven't you? Letting go of everything shallow, they can clearly see what really makes them happy. "I just want to kiss my baby on the cheek, " "I need to talk to her and make things right, " or "My family is more meaningful than that promotion". The belongings overindulged are no longer appealing when we rediscover that happiness is not found an external person, place or thing.
Have you ever seen a two year old having the time of his life with empty boxes? Ever wonder why Jesus said unless you become like one of these little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven? If their basic needs are met they rest in a core of peace, trusting that necessities will be provided. And in this inner peace, they know true happiness, that overflows to bubbling laughter, discovery and endless enthusiasm.
Beautiful, spectacular, millionaire, powerful - Are these desires making me happy? Our culture sees happiness grounded in material wealth/success and romantic, perfect relationships. We see what glitters and shines on the surface, not realizing that over time the plated surfaces of precious happiness wears off and we are left with valueless, common, dull metal. Over time 'things' stop making us happy, they are not what they once seemed to be.We live in the shallow part of life, obsessing with stuff, promotions, and good times. No matter how much we accumulate, it never is the last thing we need, and the raise is never enough to not hope for more. Like a helium balloon that looses it fullness and ability to float, our accumulation of events, people and possessions begin to feel like a lead balloon, which we ultimately part with looking for the next high flying experience.
Once we realize, "You stopped making me happy!, " our relationships and contentment disintegrates as a pillar of salt fades to dust. We run and grasp for things we desire, objects of our craving heart. We dart from the newest, latest and best as though we were shopping for bargains on the wee morning hours of black Friday. We want our dreams to fly and to have a soul mate to soar with in life.
When our building-block world crumbles down like a toddler running through our masterpiece of life, we finally look up with tears stinging our weary, red eyes looking for answers and help. Is happiness ever rock solid, absolute, and time-tested? Have you not seen over and over in life that it is through the agony of heartbreak people see deeper values?
I have heard more than one survivor say, "I have my priorities straight" or "I now know what is important in life." Haven't you? Letting go of everything shallow, they can clearly see what really makes them happy. "I just want to kiss my baby on the cheek, " "I need to talk to her and make things right, " or "My family is more meaningful than that promotion". The belongings overindulged are no longer appealing when we rediscover that happiness is not found an external person, place or thing.
Have you ever seen a two year old having the time of his life with empty boxes? Ever wonder why Jesus said unless you become like one of these little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven? If their basic needs are met they rest in a core of peace, trusting that necessities will be provided. And in this inner peace, they know true happiness, that overflows to bubbling laughter, discovery and endless enthusiasm.
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