For this week’s article, I am going to broach a subject that is at the very core of every human being’s existence, yet one that seems to have become more elusive: happiness. If you were to survey any demographic group, there would be one consistent theme regarding what they strive for: happiness. If you were to inquire as to what has greater value, money or happiness, you would begin to see where we go astray, as some people place monetary or material accumulation above happiness. The logic behind such an answer is that with enough “stuff,” happiness can somehow be acquired or obtained. They couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, study after study over many decades has brought us to an irrefutable truth: the state of happiness never was, and never will be, a product of wealth, but rather a product of purpose.
Don’t get me wrong. The basic essentials of life require us to engage in the exchange of money for the products and services we rely on for our very existence. The wise and frugal use of those resources provides us with the ability to transcend beyond our physical and safety needs to the next levels in the hierarchy of human needs, ultimately arriving at self-actualization. This is where purpose, personal growth, self-love, and morality all culminate in a state of happiness. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, the road to happiness is wrought with distractions, detours, and roadblocks, most of which are self-inflicted.
Of the many things I get to do as Sheriff, engaging with the children of our community is one of my greatest joys. I find myself in awe of their consistent state of happiness. It has allowed me to arrive at a conclusion after many years of observation: we are, by nature, happy, and it is only through the slow and insidious infusion of negative influences that we transform into the cynical existence in which so many find themselves years later. The interesting part is that the primary goal—being happy—never left. It simply got hijacked by messaging and influences in our popular culture that misdirected our efforts away from that ultimate goal. This is the basic premise of a book I am currently working my way through titled Resisting Happiness, written by Matthew Kelly.
The title itself provides the premise for what many of us struggle with in our daily lives. By pursuing that which is easy, profitable, glamorous, or popular, we are, in fact, resisting the very happiness we seek. This fixation on rushing toward an illusion of happiness is often the foundation of our many vices and addictions. So how do we reset our compass toward true happiness? I don’t know that I have arrived at the absolute path to happiness, but I can say with some certainty that anchoring our journey to a purpose founded on our personal values is a great first step.
This concept circles back to a theory I have spoken of before: our “Why.” If you know your why, you are much better suited to weather life’s inevitable storms. When we adhere to our purpose, any and all material gain or comfort becomes secondary. However, if we become distracted by material gain and base our journey on such superficial rewards, we will always come up empty, struggling to discern how to fill that void deep within our souls. Happiness is not just a choice, but rather the outcome of the choices we make. Of all the things we should resist in our lives, don’t let happiness be one of them.
