Welcome back to my journey towards Seeking My Own Path to Simchah (Happiness): My Own Personal Happiness Project
Reflections Continued:
Since posting yesterday’s blog, I found myself contemplating what happiness means. It Pirkei Avot, Ethics of Our Fathers, it says, “Who is rich? He who is happy with what he has.” (4:1) When I think about happiness on that level, that means that I am happy, yet when I think of happiness on my own, I think there should be a moment or more of radical joy. Simchah for me is about that moment when you want to scream out in delight. Yet the joy of Pirkei Avot is a lot more sustainable.
Based on Pirkei Avot, I am feeling really positive. I am someone who finds the blessings in the present moments, the realities of life, and with those that are part of my life. At the same time, I will always look for the moments of ecstatic joy.
Over the next 12 days I will be sharing my own personal commandments to be utilized as I seek my own path towards Simchah (Happiness). I see the commandments as tools that have the ability to propel me towards meeting my goal and building a stronger foundation in terms of the role that simchah can play in my life.
Commandment 1: Be myself
In order to be myself, I need to know myself. That isn’t necessarily easy, but it is a necessity. In truth, I do know myself very well, but the next step can sometimes be a little more tricky. Being yourself means trusting that it is ok to be yourself.
How can I make this happen?
- trust myself
- live according to my values
- take time to write daily
- honor my writing spirit
Being myself is a work in progress. While I actively engage in being real or being myself, I also love connecting with people where they are. I am a chameleon who can often fit wherever I am in that moment.
Recently, I had to reach inside my heart and decide how to best honor my soul. The decision was painful, but making that decision led me to inner clarity and the ability to move forward. Yay.
Moving any journey forward means listening to the inner voice that is meant to guide us. Sometimes it can be an easy thing to do, but sometimes it is really hard. For those that know me, I am often seen as being ‘crunchy granola’ in a non-granola world. These are the values that make me who I am today.
Another way in which I can best honor myself is to make certain that I am writing on a regular basis. Years ago I wrote:
Writing, the song of my heart; the meaning of my mind; the feeling of my soul; Is what makes me One.
Writing soothes my being. If I am writing on a regular basis, it must mean that I am reaching for new heights and actively engaged in life. The more I write the more centered I am.
Commandment 1: Be myself – May I continue to strive to reach new heights as I continue to grow. By honoring the soul that is within me I will soar as the person I am. And the simchah or happiness of Pirkei Avot will continue to flourish and the happiness radical joy will occur more frequently too.
Can you think of a personal commandment that you could create in order to develop a stronger foundation of simchah within your life? If you’d like to share, I’d love to know.
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