What Makes You Happy?
What makes you happy?
I've been giving this question a lot of thought and I think the answer is probably different for each of us. I also think the answer evolves over time as we do. These days, there are at least four things that make me happy (happier).
1. Curiosity
I love questions. I love wondering about things, why people are the way they are, how things work, who I am on any given day. I find that I am most energized and alive when I'm indulging in curiosity and exploring my girls' curiosities. Walt Whitman has a great quote: "Be curious, not judgmental." It's one of my favorites. Interestingly (or maybe no so interestingly), I feel most unhappy when I judge things, people, myself.
2. Connection
Such a big one. In this age of constant distraction, it's so easy to go through an entire day without truly connecting with other people or even ourselves. I feel an incredible amount of joy when I slow down long enough to truly connect, to make eye contact with my sweet ladies and my good man and my loyal friends. For the record, I do think true connections can be made - and maintained - online, but the most robust connections come in the physical, breathing world.
3. Community
Huge. Whether it's finding people in our physical or virtu-real neighborhoods, whether it's finding fellow parents in the trenches of raising kids or finding professional or creative colleagues, community is so important. Life, however we slice it, can be very lonely and lackluster without support.
4. Clarity
A recent focus of mine. We live in a time where we have more choices than ever, where it is, in so many cases, up to us, to build the lives we want, but what do we want? That's the hard question and I know that so many of us have flailed in a sea of indecision. Clarity is wildly powerful, I think. A good question to ask (hello, curiosity): What gets in the way of clarity? Is it a person or a way of thinking or a habit? How can we clear the decks to get clear on what we want?
What makes you happy these days?
