happyness — The Ultimate Pursuit

Daily Meditation 1,011–12/11/2024

This is one I’ve spoke about a few times before, but probably has been a good year since I’ve brought it up. After all — it’s Christmas, we’re feeling generally good, about to be showered/shower others with gifts, and eat lovely treats for a month!

Everyone wants to “be happy.”

I remember being terribly frustrated when my ex-wife and I agreed to divorce 10 years ago. I asked her “Why?” and she didn’t really know, but kept saying “I just want to be happy, Lucas.” And this was followed with something along the lines of “I’m going to make myself happy.”

As my alcoholism blossomed into full-blown functional alcoholism in the wake of that divorce, those words drove me positively mad.

We ALL want to be happy! What does that even mean?!

But what’s more — how do you intend to make yourself happy?

Here’s the thing about “happiness.” It’s too esoteric. Almost juvenile to aim at.

A rabbit you can set a snare for. A livetrap for that pesky raccoon. A bait pile for the big buck…

But happiness?
No — happiness is not something you can “achieve.”