~ HAPPINESS ~
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The greatest happiness you can have is
knowing that you do not necessarily
require happiness.
William Saroyan
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How many times during my life have I
said that all I want is "just to be
happy." We are told early on that our
legacy is "life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness." Did you notice that our
forefathers used the word "pursuit?" How
very wise they were.
Happiness is not automatic. Life is
difficult and it's supposed to be that
way. If we expect happiness and we
expect life to be easy, at some point in
time we are going to be very
disappointed. I thought eating food made
me happy and it did ... for a short
time. There were other temporary
compulsions in my life that made me
think I was happy ~ but again for only a
short time.
As I began to work the Steps, I began to
desire something other than happiness. I
found myself yearning for serenity
... and I found it. The way I found it
was by not expecting the world and
everyone in it to make me happy. I
learned that life was more of an
adventure than a bowl of cherries. I
learned that the more I expected from
people, places and things, the more
disappointed I was ... and the more
disappointed I became, the less happy I
was.
ONE DAY AT A TIME . . .
I will not require happiness. But when I least expect it .... happiness will find me.