Over the Rainbow

Josie: Are you happy?

Wyatt: Well, I don’t know.  I’m as happy as the next man, I guess. I don’t laugh all day like an idiot, if that’s what you mean.

–A scene from one of my favorite movies, Tombstone.    It’s a simple enough question, but how would we really answer?  Truly answer. We spend a considerable amount of time trying to cover up guilt, disregard regret, deny jealousy and resolve contempt that I think we forget our main pursuit (or what should be our main pursuit):  happiness.

Happiness. A worthy pursuit, certainly.  But somehow, most of us fail.  And in our failure, of what do we miss out?  Does it affect our families and friends?  Our work?  Our lives?  Of course, but do we even notice?  I think we get so caught up in living that we don’t even realize or even care when we are unhappy.  And then we don’t even recognize when we are happy.  Sometimes, the simplest things can make us happy or alter our attitude and mood enough to allow a little bit of joy to creep in.

Like grabbing the brass ring, it is easy to miss.  Life goes whizzing by so fast that we can’t even see the joy we have found or slow down enough to embrace it and feel the difference between happiness and a droning existence or what we think we should be doing, how we think we should be feeling — what the world, our own little world, expects of us.

We dream of the other side of the rainbow, we chase the bluebird of happiness – when all along it was right in our own backyard.  But because the answer was and is so simple, we simply didn’t and don’t see it.  Or we are lucky enough and we do. Don’t close your eyes to it or to the possibility.  It is a very real feeling, emotion, state of being and it is obtainable.  Happiness is NOT overrated.

“There is no duty that we so underrate as the duty of being happy. ” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Mr. Stevenson died over a hundred years ago, but the concept of which he spoke is not old-fashioned.  It has just been sadly misplaced, misunderstood and made to be far more complicated than it needs to be.  Those with nothing seem to reside in greater happiness and peace than those with everything.  What is the secret? Individually, it will be something different.  I suppose it is for each of us to find out for ourselves.  For me? It was forgiveness.  Pretty simple really.  Forgiving others, yes – but mostly forgiving myself of guilt, regret, jealousy, and contempt – four walls that most assuredly keep happiness away.  And then, seizing happiness, even the smallest spark of it, when it comes into view.

If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow,
Why, oh why can’t I?

You can.

by rayannethorn