Wherein lies happiness?

In that which becks
Our ready minds to fellowship divine,
A fellowship with essence; till we shine,
Full alchemiz’d, and free of space. Behold
The clear religion of heaven!
-John Keats

So around 11 o’clock last night, I was lying in a field being sprayed by sprinklers. I was completely soaked and the cold night air shot chills down my spine. Yet, I couldn’t stop smiling. There, by myself I was really happy. I began thinking about the sources of happiness in our lives. I’ve long be of the opinion that the people around us bring us joy. I believe that memories often aren’t worth forming unless we are sharing them with people we love. But last night, I realized that sometimes we let too much of our happiness rest on the acceptance and opinions of others. Sometimes we put in too much energy trying impress those around us, and if we don’t see the result we desired, we cannot be happy.

I think that is an unhealthy way to live. To constantly seek the attention and approval of others and not be happy without it is a dark road. There is an immense freedom available to us when we can be happy with ourselves; when can see what our true value is in this world, our true potential, and our opinion of ourselves isn’t swayed by the doubts of others. The people around us should enrich our lives. They should be an integral part of our existence, enhancing the experiences we go through. But we must have a base on which they may stand. We must have our own platform of confidence and self worth that establishes a happiness intrinsic to our lives. Without that, we will constantly be questioning our relationships, unable to trust in others because we cannot trust in ourselves. As Keats said, our happiness lies in fellowship divine. I believe that fellowship begins with ourselves. Once we have mastered that relationship, we can fully reach outward and magnify our happiness by the divine fellowship of others.