Pushing Thirtyy

It’s literally written into one of the most important documents in history — we, Americans, all have a right to pursue a happy life. So we spend each day trying to live, chasing the dream or trying to figure out how to reach it or just trying to figure out what it is.  What is it that makes us happy?  It changes, as we all change, as time changes, as circumstances change.  We may reach some level of contentment and even satisfaction, but are we ever truly happy?

Some of us are, some of us are not. Life is unequal, even if we do all have this equal right.  To be happy takes a perfect combination of reasonable desires and expectations, hard work and a stroke of luck, it seems.  Being happy can be a fleeting moment, as all emotions are, but it always seems that good emotions are the ones that last for the shortest amount of time — you really have to recognize those moments and live in them.

Because the pursuit of happiness is just that — a pursuit.  We will forever chase this feeling, attempt to capture it in a bottle to hold onto forever.  We will remember the great times, and some of us will be lucky enough to be able to identify the happiest days of our lives.  The real lucky ones will be able to tell when they are living their best days.  The optimistic ones will say that today is great, but tomorrow will be even better.

Sometimes, you will get lost along the way on your pursuit, unsure of what it is that will make you happy.  Sometimes, you will have to let go of things to make room for better things.  Sometimes you will feel low, and you will need to feel low just so you can have that happiness high again, and have it mean something.

Happiness. What is happiness?  In bits and pieces, it’s smiles, it’s warmth, it’s hugs and kisses, it’s laughter, it’s falling in love, it’s accomplishing something.  These are all happy moments, but to be in a permanent state of happiness? Well, that is what the pursuit is all about.