I just discovered that August is Happiness Happens Month. It came to be when the group called Happiness Happens was formed as an extension of the Secret Society of Happy People founded by Pamela Gail Johnson in August 1998. It was formed to celebrate happiness any and everywhere that it shows up.
How do you define happiness? For me, it is multi-faceted. I can be happy when things are going my way. Human nature, you say? How about being happy in the midst of other people’s choices and challenges? To some, that might sound counterintuitive. How can I be happy if people I love are ill, in conflict, or are making decisions that I think are not in their best interest? I am not happy THAT those circumstances occur, but how will my unhappiness create a positive outcome for them or for me? That’s where the art of surrender comes into play. If, in my ‘infinite wisdom,’ I would like to intervene in someone else’s relationship dynamics, (I am a career therapist after all), I have to ask myself if it is truly my place to do that. Even in therapy sessions, I need to remind myself that all I can do is be a safe sounding board for their expressions and a guide with information to share. Whether or not they act on it, is their call.
I am most certainly happy when I am with my grandchildren; Dean is 2 1/2 and Lucy is 2 months old at this writing. Watching them navigate the world, discovering how things work, expressing themselves, invites me to have a joy drenched life.
When I am engaged in acts of kindness, I feel happy hormones swirling through my brain. A few months ago, a stranger who is now a friend, and I formed a Facebook group called Bucks County Kind. The purpose was to call people together in a world wide community to encourage random acts of kindness. Joanne Petrun and I are kindred spirits with the same motivation; to make the planet a kinder place. We commissioned cards to be created by my friend Eric Labacz and they are available in places of businesses in Bucks County, PA where we both live. We also hand them out randomly throughout our days. Our vision is that this goes world wide. Join our group if you feel so moved.
I’m happy in the moment as I am gazing around my living room, content with being in my nest when, before the pandemic, I was rarely at home. I felt a compulsion to be with people. Now I am sourcing my own happiness from within and creating a haven for my sometimes overwhelmed and weary soul.
I practice happiness when in the midst of kindred spirits who march to the beat of a different drummer and dance to the music that may not appeal to everyone. These are my people, often, like me, the rainbow sheep of their families.
I immerse in happiness when I am writing, as I enter the Imaginarium. It is a place of vibrance, color and creativity. It is where I go to tap into the inspiration of The Muse.
I splash about in happiness when I listen to music and sing or dance along. Right now, I am listening to Sleepy Hollow which is a Saturday and Sunday morning easy wakeup program on a Philadelphia based, member supported radio station called WXPN.
I experience vicarious happiness when I witness someone succeeding, overcoming odds, doing something they have long wanted to accomplish, facing fierce fears. The Yiddish word ‘kvell’ means ‘to beam with pride,’ at someone’s endeavors.
Happiness is contagious. My happiness encourages and merges with that of anyone with whom I cross paths. What does happiness mean to you? How do you celebrate it?
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