'Happiness is the Road'

I weep for the lost moments. But, I promise not to weep too much, unless I want to keep repeating the same mistakes.

I am going to let you in on a little secret: Life isn't always easy. I can already hear the cries of "tell me about it," or "you don't know how good you have it," or perhaps even the "cry me a river" comments in my head. But, I can't worry too much about those. 

Perception is an interesting thing, much more so because it's not a thing at all. Like "love," or "hate," or "desire," or "regret." Perception isn't a tangible thing. Yet, it's really what controls everything I do, everything I think, everything I see, everything I believe. While I can't speak for anyone else, something tells me the same applies to you.

In one moment, I can feel like I have this world on a string. In another, everything is falling apart. But, it's not. If it had, I wouldn't be here writing this.

In Buddhism (which, I don't pretend to be an expert on, so forgive any ignorance), Samsara describes the endless cycle of suffering, which can only be broken by enlightenment. And, since enlightenment is such a lofty goal, one can surmise (if they're in a bad mood) that we're just in for lifetimes of suffering. The glass is half-empty.

There have been large chunks of my life where I would have followed that tack. Sometimes, I still do. We all have our moments, don't we? As I have belly-flopped into my 30s, and will trip awkwardly and with grace (oxymoron?) into my 33rd year this month, I have continuously–sometimes painfully–tried to remind myself that, yes, while that glass is indeed halfway to its grave, there is still one other half of some kind of tasty beverage waiting to be consumed. If I keep focusing on the half that is no longer there, I'll either never get around to enjoying the half that is there or it'll be all warm and gross by the time I do, and then I'll whine about how it wasn't very good anyway.

But, it's not always as easy as looking at a glass of liquid. Perception has a way of getting in the way. But, it's all there is. So, I vow to see the glass as half-full more often.

Since I'm blogging now along with the rest of you, I'd like to use this space for some of these questions of perception. I'd love for you to share your own thoughts.

In the meantime, I'd like to invite you to listen to this song, by the beyond-amazing Marillion, called "Happiness is the Road." I think the title gives you an idea of its relevance.