How to Find Happiness A-Z: X

Image courtesy of NemoYes, X marks the spot.

Happiness doesn't just happen. Well, okay, sometimes it does. The hormones align, there's sunshine, and we break through the mental clouds to find a moment of bliss. (Like taste-testing new cheeses. Mmm.) We'll call this "pleasure".

Real happiness is a lasting sense of well being, a constant and underlying sense that all is good--or that which we can control is good. It's a satisfaction with not only ourselves, but the direction we're taking in life and our accomplishments.

Some people make the mistake of blindly fumbling through life. They take what they're given and grumble about how things stink. They blame the government, their parents, their kids, the world for everything that's wrong, never stopping to consider how they can change things--if they open their eyes and aim for something better.

I grew up in a goal driven home. My father was a doctor, taxidermist, eagle scout, spelunker, pianist, photographer, scuba diver, distance runner, scout master, teacher, hypnotist, actor, basketball player and high adventure specialist. He spoke a couple languages, was a do-it-yourself-er, and raised 8 kids, one of whom was special needs. I learned a healthy sense of ambition just from watching him. He loved challenges. His entire life was about setting goals and then steadily progressing toward them. He was always on the go, always working toward a new accomplishment, and 90% of the time, smiling. (The other ten he was biting his tongue while examining the newest kid-induced hole in the wall, or shouting "you turkey!" at the slowpokes impeding his lead-footed-ness on the road.)

Happiness is a process. It's a journey, but there is no journey without a destination or "X". So what destination are you aimed toward?