Happy On Purpose!

Happy On Purpose!

By Allen Merritt (©2017)

I saw a graphic displaying a statement reading something to the effect of being happy on purpose or rather, the purpose of life is happiness. What a great thought. The picture showed a person laughing. I loved it. After thinking on it further I made the comment to be happy on purpose because it is the purpose of living and posted it on my twitter feed to share with the universe, if you will.

There are many books and programs available promoting ideas on how to get, pursue and maintain a state of happiness. I have read a few of them and enjoyed them tremendously including Happier Than God, Ten Percent Happier, Happiness NOW! and Stumbling on Happiness. If you are feeding your spirit with good thoughts and ideas of happiness how can you not benefit or reap something by doing so? It’s like osmosis. Something good generates out of such effort. 

There is something else to consider though.

I think you can read as many books as you want, watch many programs or attend a ton of conferences discussing similar topics, but if you are not taking the information to heart and finding a way to utilize it and make it applicable to your life, it means nothing and won’t make any difference to you.

Ergo, the statement to be happy on purpose comes into play. Make it a point to do good things on purpose. Then it becomes a habit. If you want to be happy, then you will be happy.

What does it mean to be happy on purpose? I mean, what does happiness look like when you see it in action?  Is it people laughing, smiling and walking hand in hand with one another? Are there various levels of happy?

I have a friend who I believe resembles this idea quite a bit. I always admire this quality in him. He knows how to go out and purposefully have a good time and find ways to be happy in his own unique way. He works hard. He plays hard. Grant it, his ways of being happy and having fun are not my own, but it works on him. I see this much like the clothing we choose to wear. Clothing styles may look better on some people then they do on others. The way my body is built requires a different take on what I can wear. It’s the same with personality and pursuit of happiness, don’t you think?

For example, some people find their happy in a bar every weekend. They meet a group of friends, go dancing and drinking and it makes them feel good and alive (or at least lively). It’s a let your hair down and cut loose mentality. For them, this is a must at the end of the work week.

What happens when such an environment no longer inspires happy?

My thought?

I will be one of the first to suggest that if something doesn’t contribute to your happiness or if you are unhappy in a situation, then it is up to you to change it in some way.

If one way doesn’t (or no longer) work for you, then find your happy another way.  Recognizing that happiness is something you work on and allow to be; simultaneously. Individual likes and dislikes help guide the inner spirit toward that which determines where your happy lives.  I would also point out changing our environment is not always the solution to how we perceive our happiness playing out. Finding new ways to spark that happy right where you are and simply as you are with might work, too. Running away or escaping one situation as you trade it in for another is not what I mean by being happy on purpose.

I saw a great posting today which fits into this discussion. It said, “The grass is always greener where it is watered.” So to grow, to enhance, to enrich to build upon and nurture one must focus on watering and feeding that which we want to harvest. If that is happiness, then farm it up! This is another way of suggesting be happy on purpose. 

Here’s another thought. Standing in one place is not necessary a solution once you find a happy spot. Life moves. Situations change. A good example of this is watching a new building rise up next door that now will block your million dollar view. We must constantly be aware and reassess where we are in our state of happy; determine what is the root of that happy. It doesn’t mean packing up and moving out. It simply means things may change. In any case, thinking purposefully on sustaining and maintaining our state of happiness may help keep us in a happy place right where we are, which leads to living in a positive state as well. It’s about evaluating your inner well being and speaking to that child within.

Elements of happy may simply come to you quite naturally. I would say those moments are like seeds. Plant those seeds deep in your heart, spirit and soul and care for them.

In so thinking, I hope this week leads you down many paths of happy. If not, utilize the best resources you have available to start your own grass root garden project and cultivate your own happy. Be deliberate. Be happy on purpose!

Why?  Because the purpose of living is to be happy.

Produce your own brand of happy this week and have a great time living life on a positive note.

Cheers!