In the United States we believe we have these unalienable rights: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. I think this is one of the really great things about our country.
But I wonder, what is “happiness”? With all the unhappiness I see, all the grumpiness, anger, and dissatisfaction, happiness seems elusive. Either we aren’t really pursuing it, or we haven’t really identified what makes us happy.
We pursue happiness by creating experiences. We go on vacation to amusement parks, to nature, and to exciting places like Las Vegas. We pursue happiness by buying things. We upgrade our house. We get the next iGadget. And we buy stuff for our hobbies. And we pursue happiness by hanging out with our friends on the weekends.
I think a big part of the problem is with the word, “happiness.” What comes to my mind with the word, “happy,” is joy in a moment. But I don’t think joy in a moment is what we really crave. Instead, I think what we really desire is more of a deep satisfaction in life.
In my experience, deep satisfaction comes from things other than what we normally do to pursue happiness. I believe satisfaction comes from:
- Loving other people and God
- Leaving a lasting, positive impact in the world
- Being truly known and loved by another person
What would our world look like if we were all in pursuit of deep satisfaction instead of happiness?
This 4th of July, I encourage you to go ahead and have some happy moments. There’s nothing wrong with these. And I also encourage you to spend time increasing your level of satisfaction by loving people and doing something meaningful.
Happy 4th of July
