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As I go throughout a normal week, I encounter a number of people out chasing happiness. And, for much of adult life I was one of them. I was driven to complete the challenge in front of me believing that it would bring me happiness. My challenge could be at work – finishing a project on time and within budget. Or, it could be physical – training to ride my bicycle 500 in 6 days. A couple of years into retirement, I learned something about myself and happiness. Recently, I heard an interview with Historian Darrin McMahon about his book, Happiness: A History which cause me to reflect on this concept.
Dr. McMahon starts his book with ancient Greek tragedy where happiness is something that happens to the individual. The early Christian writings of St. Augustine and others shift the view of happiness to something that is rewarded the next life. During the Age of Enlightenment, the concept of happiness shifts away from a virtue to something we can experience just because we are human. This concept gets baked into the country’s DNA with United States Declaration of Independence, even though Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers believed that without working for the greater good one could not be happy. Today, because we have the right to pursue happiness, each of us is responsible for our own happiness and when we do not feel it we blame ourselves and/or others.
What I learned a few years back is that I needed to change my perspective on happiness. When I looked back at my life, I discovered that many of my happy moments were felt with I followed the Rotary motto, He Profits Most Who Serves Best. As I reflected on those occasions, I realized that much of the happiness came from right-sizing my daily concerns with those who cannot read, who do not food/shelter, and who are dealing with illness/disease. I learned how to be grateful for the struggle that I was facing at the time.
I learned that being responsible for my happiness also meant that I needed to be mindful and present in the moment. There are gifts of happiness around me all the time. While planting some annuals and perennials in the front of the house this past weekend, I was able to pause to listen to an eagle’s scream and watch it soar overhead. Happiness often comes in casual conversation with those who share interests. It is my hope that each of you will find some happiness this week in Rotary service and fellowship.