Blog entry for:

Fri, Apr 8, 2011 07:44:46 AM


∪ i am coming to know happiness, joy, and freedom ∪
posted: Fri, Apr 8, 2011 07:44:46 AM

 

well there are a couple of ways i can go with this topic this morning. i could start with a bit of a fine whine whine about how early it is, and about how i wanted to sleep a bit more. would that make me happier, more joyous or increased my freedom? NO it would not, so there i have done my back door b*tch and i can move on.
i could start writing about how i once took this for an explicit promise of an event, and it intimidated the sh!t out of me. while true, once upon a time, this is no longer something i fear or dread.
after dismissing out of hand the first two things that come to mind, of course there is the explicit topic of the reading, namely that happiness is a choice, which although it could provides hundreds of words from this keyboard, it would only be preaching to the choir, and these days i try to really get down with my own bad self and write about what is going on, with me, and not necessarily with the rests of the world.
so that brings me to a very fine point, way too early on this foggy Friday morning, can i choose happiness, for real, and if i can, why do i not choose to be happy 24/7? well i can tell you why. i choose not to be happy 24/7, because sometimes i am NOT HAPPY. there are times when i read one of these ent6ries, and it just irks me so bad i have a strong emotional reaction that i interpret to mean that i &lsquou;liked’ or ‘disliked’ a particular reading. while that appropriate for one phase of my recovery, it is no longer. just like forcing myself to feel one way or another is no longer appropriate and that is what i could interpret this reading to mean. that i HAVE THE ABILITY to change how i feel. i know that i DO have that ability, sometimes that ability is inherent and i can access it, but that sort of stuff was part of active addiction and is certainly a signal that i need to step up my program. as i sit down and get past my knee jerk reaction, what i really heard is that the choice is to not feel happy or unhappy. the choice for me is to see the events in my life as a gift, and choose to be happy about this continue gifting, or be miserable because i do not like what is inside each package. this morning i can be grateful that i am up and moving. it may be earlier than i planned, but i will choose tom accept that is what it is, and get moving towards my destination down south, as the saying goes. yes it is true i will be making a four and half hour round trip for the opportunity to speak with a sponsee for 90 minutes. half-full or half-empty are not even considerations this morning, i am glad i have the vessel to put anything in and that i get to meet with my sponsee for any length of time at all, as it has been quite some time since i i had the choice to do so. i am not miserable this morning, so i can CHOOSE to be happy, as nothing i am feeling precludes a bit of happiness. on that note i do believe i will jump in the shower and get moving, it is after all a great day to be clean and guess what, BE HAPPY!

∞ DT ∞

 

djtConsulting Brand
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.

Another Look!

↔ happiness -- an inside job! ↔ 307 words ➥ Friday, April 8, 2005 by: donnot
α finding happiness in my involvement with ... Ω 350 words ➥ Saturday, April 8, 2006 by: donnot
∞ the outward things that i traditionally associate with happiness are just that. ∞ 450 words ➥ Sunday, April 8, 2007 by: donnot
δ happiness. what is it, really? as i live just for today, … 358 words ➥ Tuesday, April 8, 2008 by: donnot
∞ i can think of happiness as contentment and satisfaction ∞ 436 words ➥ Wednesday, April 8, 2009 by: donnot
º i often forget that happiness is a choice º 772 words ➥ Thursday, April 8, 2010 by: donnot
¹ as i live just for today ¹ 720 words ➥ Sunday, April 8, 2012 by: donnot
± just for today, i am going to be happy ± 561 words ➥ Monday, April 8, 2013 by: donnot
ℜ contentment and satisfaction seem ℜ 409 words ➥ Tuesday, April 8, 2014 by: donnot
¿ well, gee, let me see … 328 words ➥ Wednesday, April 8, 2015 by: donnot
☼ happiness ☂ 845 words ➥ Friday, April 8, 2016 by: donnot
🌞 no person 🌞 857 words ➥ Saturday, April 8, 2017 by: donnot
😁 if someone stopped 😄 588 words ➥ Sunday, April 8, 2018 by: donnot
😄 choosing to 😵 680 words ➥ Monday, April 8, 2019 by: donnot
🤔 a deeply 🤳 570 words ➥ Wednesday, April 8, 2020 by: donnot
🤔 a choice 🥳 454 words ➥ Thursday, April 8, 2021 by: donnot
😄 the happiness, 😥 561 words ➥ Friday, April 8, 2022 by: donnot
👋 listening with 👂 428 words ➥ Saturday, April 8, 2023 by: donnot
🏜 being open 🏜 543 words ➥ Monday, April 8, 2024 by: donnot
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☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯

THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge

Book 1

3) On occasions of festivity to be on the left hand is the prized
position; on occasions of mourning, the right hand. The second in
command of the army has his place on the left; the general commanding
in chief has his on the right;--his place, that is, is assigned to
him as in the rites of mourning. He who has killed multitudes of men
should weep for them with the bitterest grief; and the victor in battle
has his place (rightly) according to those rites.