Smatterings of happiness

 

All of us are searching for happiness in some way. After all we've all been fed the dreams of happiness from a young age - you go to school, finish school, find friends along the way, get a job, fall in love, get a house, maybe start a family and everything falls into place and you are eternally happy, right? 

Well, sadly this isn't always the trajectory for everyone. Marriages fall apart, jobs get lost, houses are too expensive, friends get fed up of you, loveless relationships, abusive relationships, etc etc. So does this mean therefore that happiness is only for the few? That can't be right, surely! No, happiness is for all but it is the concept of eternal happiness that is the issue...

I firmly believe happiness exists in lots of little moments, such as getting home from work after a long day at work, your first cup of coffee of the day, eating your favourite food, listening to your favourite song, seeing the sun rising and other similar little moments of joy. 

Today, like most days lately, I found a tiny slice of happiness in playing football with my good friends young son, he's a lovely lad who has a natural talent of spreading smiles to others and always seems pleased when I stop and kick a ball around with him for a little while and truth be told, (and however tragic this makes me), it's nice to be liked. This moment added together with the other good moments of the day, (laughing and chatting with my dear friends, getting in from work to see my family, seeing bats in the garden, etc), made today a generally happy day. 

It's the same as on other days when I've been to a show, met up with friends for a walk or maybe even something as mundane as having a particularly pleasant bath, (this is rare for me as our bath is tiny and my ogre-like frame barely fits in it so on the rare occasion I'm staying somewhere that has a large bath - It's heavenly to me!). 

I guess what I'm saying is don't feel disheartened if every aspect of your life isn't going how you planned - nobody's is! Just embrace those small moments of happiness when they arrive, enjoy them, appreciate them. They wont cure everything and you will feel sad or angry at times but it is so important to also acknowledge those little moments of pure glee. Sometimes things sadly don't work out like we thought they would but all is not lost. Just look for the happiness as best you can and take the pressure off yourself to achieve unrealistic goals of perfection. 

Life is chaotic, messy and cruel at times but it is also beautiful, surprising and scattered with happiness here and there. 

Anyway, I'd best get some sleep, I may need the energy to play football for a bit tomorrow, (hopefully)