Living things are not eternal. Humans are not perpetual motion machines. Life comes to an end, no matter how long it takes. So for many humans, there is always a thought at some point about what the essence of life is. People phrase it in varied ways, some ask, “what is [one’s] purpose in life?”, others ask, “how do [one] want to be remembered?” or “what legacy would [one] like to leave?”
Whenever I think about these for myself, I always come up with the same answer, “I just want to be happy!” Not to smile or laughter, not excited or joyful or cheery or merry or ecstasy or euphoria, just happy – internal peace and quiet, content, glad… just happy!
I have no interest in grand adventures or lofty ambitions. I do not wake up with any burning desire to save the world, amass gigantic wealth, attain high positions of power, climb the Everest or go to space. In fact, I think some of these will get in the way of my ultimate goal of just being happy.
When some people hear that I am only interest in being happy, it usually sounds selfish to them, like I am only interested in myself and no one else. Well, my response is typical as I read somewhere on the internet, “that is a whole ‘nother sentence”, similar to asking, “does it mean you do not like those who have these ambitions?” I have only told you what I want out of life and living, not all of it and certainly not how I think or aim or indeed hope to get there.
Below are some of the quotes and thoughts that has shaped and continue to influence my thoughts about happiness:
“[Our] happiness depends upon ourselves”, Aristotle.
“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition”, Martha Washington, wife of the first president of the United States of America, George Washington.
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”, Mahatma Gandhi.
“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions”, Dalai Lama XIV.
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters”, Audrey Hepburn, British actress and humanitarian.
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be”, Abraham Lincoln.
“Being happy doesn’t mean everything is perfect. It means you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections”, Anonymous.
“Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values”, Ayn Rand, Russian-born American writer and philosopher, known for her fiction and developing a philosophical system, Objectivism.
It is in this light that I seek to conjure up my own happiness, reach for the harmony of soul, understand that it will not last forever, that in the end nothing else matters other than if you are happy with the life you lived and if you were happy living it… that happiness is an ideal worth pursuing and is indeed the bridge to eternity!
