The Point Is Not To Chase Happiness, But To Do Our Work
Emerson says:
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
When I was in my teens, and 20s, I used to believe the lie that had been perpetuated by society. That my sole purpose in life is to chase happiness. To run after it as if a demon from hell is going to murder me if I don’t.
I spent all of my time thinking, wondering, reflecting, dreaming about that special day when I would be happy.
Oh, what a great day that would be! It would be rainbows and butterflies, and everything would be oh-so-perfect. I would go tra-la-laing around the world, because at that point, I would have not a worry left in this physical realm.
Of course, I know how foolish I am. The more we chase after something, the more it eludes us. The more fervently we want something or desire something, the more it slips from our slimy grasp.
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