Paradisiacally

What Does It Mean To Be Happy?

1 January

What does it mean to be happy?

It gets old, you know. Trying to fill voids with materialistic things. Or constantly surrounding yourself around people who “make you happy”. Maybe you abuse substances to give you the illusion you’re on a high. Or you’re who we are all striving to be; you’re truly happy.

What does it mean to be happy? One would say to be filled with hope for tomorrow. To be satisfied or content. If we’re being honest, happiness is different among us all. I’m happiest when there’s no smile on my face. Just a girl standing in the sand with her hair blowing in the wind, her thoughts have silenced, and all I can hear are the sounds of water coming against my skin. I look up, thank God, and then my face rests again.

Those are some of the happiest moments of my life. When the thoughts of “how do I make more money”, “Will I ever get married”, “Will I ever forgive myself for my past mistakes”, “Will I finally take a chance on art”, “Will I always seek academic validation”, “will I even make it to heaven” no longer swarm my head. Feelings of guilt, shame, insecurity, fear, and anger cease to exist. And I can truly feel God’s presence.

“I just want to be happy” is a common phrase we’ve all said silently to ourselves. So now the question is how?

How do I find happiness?

Find Yourself…There’s this thing that’s been inside of you since you took your first breath. It gives you joy, drive, ambition. It’s a little thing called purpose. Something you can only find when you take the time to find yourself. Who am I? When you ask yourself that question can it easily be answered? For a lot of us, it can be. It’s not our purpose that we are ignorant of, but rather keeping the faith that God will sustain us while we take a chance on who and what he called us to be.

Finding yourself is so different from “healing”, we tend to confuse the two. Healing is becoming healthy again. Finding yourself is discovering who and what you are after you’ve healed. So embrace all the work you’ve done to heal and begin the journey of finding yourself. Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God.

Believe in yourself…I don’t mean in the fake confidence, “fake it til you make it” type of belief. I mean believe in the fact you are worthy of absolutely everything. God is a forgiving God, so why do you struggle so much with forgiving your past mistakes? There’s absolutely nothing you’ve done, said, or thought that makes you unworthy of following suit to your purpose. To believe in yourself, you have to first forgive yourself. Once you’ve done that you’ll begin to see yourself as worthy again. Which allows you to have true faith in everything you can be. Let’s stop pretending to believe and actually believe this time around.

Take a chance on yourself…Do something that scares you. Makes you uncomfortable even. Growth comes from stepping away from the safe and familiar. Too many times we miss out on life-changing opportunities because of fear. Fear we are inadequate, not worthy, or just outright scared. Instead, embrace fearlessness by tackling the things that make you a bit anxious but will ultimately make you feel liberated once achieved. There’s immense beauty in embracing new experiences in this life. Don’t miss out on the beauty because you didn’t have it in you to take a chance.

Don’t give up on yourself…Stay the course. What I mean by this is no matter what life throws your way, never allow it to take you off your path. Cause at the end of the day, life is life-ing. Don’t allow the noise of this world to take you off track. You might need to take a break because rest is just as important as work. But never allow the disappointments of life to deter you from your purpose. Believe in your resilience and capacity for growth, and you’ll find that the journey, despite its hardships, is worth every step.

Keep working till every heart’s desires have come to pass…A lot of “woke” Christians love to use the bible verse Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? To make a point that you aren’t supposed to follow your heart. Other Christians use Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart to prove the opposite. All in all, read the bible for yourself and pray for wisdom and understanding of God’s word to help you better decipher God’s true intentions.

I don’t believe in telling people what “God means” about something with a certainty that I don’t have. However, what I do know is James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Therefore while you discern with God the purpose of your life, how to protect your heart, and for the wisdom of understanding in knowing which heart desires are of God and which are of your own. Don’t forget to work. And don’t ever stop working til every heart’s desires, from God, have come to pass.

Is it possible for me to stay happy?

Yes…but it’s hard mi amor. Happiness requires effort, mindfulness, and a commitment to nurturing your well-being. You have to prioritize so much to stay happy. First and foremost, you have to prioritize your relationship with God. But also with yourself, your friends, family, pets, partners, spouses, and etc. It’s a lot of work. Life is challenging, but finding joy in small moments and cultivating gratitude will make a big difference. Remember to be kind to yourself, surround yourself with positivity, and prioritize what brings you peace and fulfilment. Happiness is a journey, not a destination, and with perseverance, it can be sustained. Always remember it’s not merely about finding happiness but also knowing you are worthy of it.

Philippians 4:4…Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice