Happiness is but a moment, not a continuous state.......

I stare at the number, but it just doesn't compute.

2020. Really. 

2020 sounds more like the title of a Science Fiction novel than

reality to me.

I don't know about you, but I am worried about the future.

The future of this Planet, and the future of mankind.

For all the advancements and progress we have made,

have we really considered the possible consequences

and the costs they may bring?

Are we asking ourselves the ''right'' questions before we

throw ourselves head first towards pushing boundaries?

Are some boundaries perhaps best kept?

Is the ''new'' always better than the old?

After all, regardless of all our advancements,

basically, do we not still deal with the same needs,

wants, and desires that we did hundreds of years ago?

Do we not all still share the need for belonging, for 

feeling accepted and included, for being loved

and love in return, for being valued and appreciated,

and for being understood?

Do not most of us chase after ''happiness''?

Happiness, this illusive something that is so hard to define,

and so often behaves like a slippery bar of soap.

(Just when we think we have a hold of it, it slips through

our fingers.)

Often, I think we attach conditions to what we think we may need

in order to be happy.

When I get xyz I will be happy, when xyz happens I will

be happy, when he/she/they accept me I will be happy, etc.etc.

Strangely, more often than not, even when our conditions

are met, the feeling of happiness often tends to wean off.

So, we come up with new conditions.

And like hamsters in a wheel, we keep on running.

James Pawelski, a philosopher says : ''Happiness is both a goal of, 
and a construct of culture.''

(I take this to mean that regardless of where on this planet

 we may live, how we view happiness depends on the culture in which

we live.)

But, what if happiness is not a ''state'', what if happiness rather than

being a continuous state, is more of a moment?

And a floating one at that.

If this is the case, then in order to experience happiness

we need to be living and experiencing the present moment, the now,

and to let go of the past and the future.

Which is really, really hard to do.

But, not impossible.

But it takes awareness, and learning how to recognize those fleeting

moments that feels like  ''happiness moments''.

We need to acknowledge them, experience them,

 make a mental note of them,

because they will pass, but they always leave a little

''tingle'' behind.

''Happiness is like a snowflake in the palm of your hand.

It lasts but a moment, but it leaves 

a drop of glistening water behind.''

(Citizen Z)

about the image: A graphite drawing I made on cardboard paper from

a photo I took of my son while he was having a ''happiness moment''.