The Bluebird of Happiness — Do We Forget About The One In-Hand?

Have we raised our expectations for what will make us happy to unreasonable heights?

I wonder.

Too often it seems as if we are striving and searching for a bigger, better kind of happiness.  And always more, of course.  It’s as if we are determined to prove that when it comes to the Bluebird of Happiness the old adage  “one bird in-hand is worth two birds in-the-bush” no longer applies.

Strangely, we don’t hold laughter to such a high standard.  We laugh ’til we cry. We laugh through our tears. We claim laughter is the best medicine. We accept that laughter just is and we acknowledge that it rarely comes to us pain-free.

Camdiluv ♥ / Amazing Photos / CC BY-SA

Yet when we envision HAPPINESS, it is always something elusive and out of reach.  Something we see on a distant horizon or far over head.  A pristine  ideal — clean, pure, filled with sweetness, and surrounded by light.  A happiness with no shadows or darkness to mar it’s beauty.

But how and where could such a utopian state untouched by ugliness, pain or even sadness exist?  Do we really want a happiness that is a mythological mental state and a physical impossibility?  Do we really want our Happiness to be a goal to achieve, a reward to earn, or some item to acquire?

Happiness, real HAPPINESS  is always in our hands.  Happiness is simply a moment of celebration and recognition.  It is a moment of valuing what is at hand and feeling valued in return.  Think about all the times when you were most happy.

Like this moment for Jack Carroll:

Isn’t it strange how during the show the laughter and applause makes Jack Carroll feel happy and valued for his wonderful comedic abilities and personal charm, but even now, watching this video unconnected to the live show, we feel happy and valued because Jack invited us into his world?

And isn’t this what Happiness really is?  A brief moment that cost us nothing but the few minutes it takes to recognize and celebrate the value of who and what we are interacting with — right now.

So, have you set your expectations of happiness too high?   Do you still want to chase the two elusive bluebirds in the bush?   Or do you value the happy moments you already hold in your hands?

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Related posts:

~ Pondering the Possibilities: Packing Wisely For Life

~ Pondering the Possibilities: Growing Happiness