Happiness, Joy, & Feeling Content
This past weekend I went to church for the first time in awhile. Before you tune out due to your differing beliefs or disinterest in anything church related, I’d like to inform you that what I have to say will be brief, and at least ‘churchy’ as possible!
As mentioned, I haven’t been in awhile, mostly because I’ve been going through a bit of a spiritual journey on my own. One that required some separation and self-reflection before convening with other people for spiritual enrichment. If you grew up in the church like I did or have been religiously involved at any point, then you know the sensation of feeling as if a particular message or sermon was meant specifically for you. That thought of, “Is he talking to me?” that crosses your mind when the pastor gets on a roll. I felt that for the first time in a long time, and whether you choose to look through a Christian lense, or a different one of your choice, I believe the message is indeed worth sharing.
The topic discussed was joy and happiness in relation to the idea of being content. By definition we know content to mean satisfied or happy. In essence, everyone desires to feel that way. Whether it’s with your career, romance, finances, or your life in general. Everyone wants to be happy, but what is the secret ingredient?
What I’m learning is that there isn’t one, and happiness isn’t necessarily a destination. Though it’s always advertised in our favorite moves and songs as place you work hard to get to, happiness is a feeling that comes and goes, just like sadness, anxiousness, or anger. It’s unrealistic to think that you will be happy all of the time, just like it’s unrealistic to think that you will be sad forever after experiencing something hurtful. With this in mind, the goal for me has become to maximize my happy moments. To do whatever I can to make them last long, and leave an imprint in my mind. A method of doing so, is by separating a majority of my happiness from feeling content. Knowing that one can come along with the other, but that it’s not mandatory. Limiting how much I let material things and temporary circumstances affect my happiness, will make for longer moments of happiness overall. When you separate happiness and feeling content, you learn to find everyday instances that will bring you joy. You learn to be happy in the moment, instead of putting a due date on the feeling.
Change your perspective!
This weeks look is my take on Sunday’s best! My coat is from Macy’s INC men’s collection, slacks by ASOS, and my cardigan and vest are both thrifted. My shoes are the same classic Allen Edmond’s you saw featured in the last post, and my watch is by Invicta.
