The Myth Of Being Happy

 

I knew this person who sits in their three million dollar home, drives really nice cars, travels all the time, gets paid around four to five hundred thousand dollars a year, and has a lot of property, from the outside they have it all. But yet they still want more.

I also met a person at the park one day when I went to eat my lunch who sat next to me on a bench. We started chatting and he told me that he was homeless and was hungry. I told him I didn't have any money on me (which most of the time means they will just up and leave you), but that I was more than willing to share my lunch with them.

They said that they didn't want to take food that I had bought for myself to eat. I had made two sandwiches that morning, grabbed a bag of chips, and two pieces of fruit, and some cashew nuts (love cashews, just in case you didn't know that already.) which I usually ate later in the afternoon as a power snack.

I told them I could understand that and appreciate that but that I wouldn't have offered if I truly didn't want to share my food with them.

There was some silence for a little bit and they just kind of looked away.

I reached into my bag and took out a sandwich, the bag of chips, and a piece of fruit and put it on the bench between us.

I didn't say anything I just put it there and continued to eat in silence.

A few minutes went by and I looked over at the person who was sitting on the bench with me and I could see that they had tears in their eyes. They wouldn't look at me they just kept staring away.

I packed up the rest of my lunch and said out loud to the other person. I'm sorry I made you feel uncomfortable, but I could see you were hungry, and that's the best I could do with what I have. I hope you won't let that food go to waste, and I hope that your day gets better.

Then I stood up from the bench and started walking away.

About a week later I was eating my lunch again in the park at a totally different spot in the park and this same person comes and sits down on the bench with me.

This time I didn't say anything I just let them be.

The person said this to me and I've never forgotten it...

"You taught me a very important lesson last time I saw you. You taught me that Happiness has to start with us. I was so far down I couldn't see it anymore. I haven't been happy in a very long time, but that day you sat down and treated me like a regular person and even though you didn't have any money you knew I was hungry and instead of just saying I don't have any money and I can't help you, instead you reached into your own bag of food and fed me. I sat on the bench and cried for a while because at that moment I was truly happy and grateful for what you had done. You didn't ask anything in return you just gave me your own food because you knew I was hungry. I sat there while I ate the sandwich you left on the bench and just realized how happy you made me feel and I wanted to make someone else feel as happy as you had me feel. So I took the bag of chips and the fruit and I went and found two other people in the park who are homeless and hungry like me and I gave one of them the chips and the other one the fruit. You should have seen how happy they were and how grateful they were for the small offering of something to eat. Thanks for reminding me that day that happiness starts within ourselves and that we can share our happiness with others no matter how small throughout our day."

I told them it was just simply seeing someone who was hungry and wanting to help a little.

I asked them again if they were hungry as I had another sandwich if they were.

They looked back at me with tears in their eyes and said...

"Nope, I'm doing fine today. I'm the happiest I've been in a long time."

They smiled at me and got up on the bench and walked away.

I've eaten my lunch many times in that park since that day, but I never saw that person again. 

Remember my friends the important lesson we both learned that day...

You don't need a nice house, lots of money, nice cars, lots of property, an amazing job, to be happy.

It's not about what's outside of you that will ever bring you happiness.

It's all about what's inside of you and how you choose to be happy today.

Yes, folks, it is a choice.

I hope you choose to be happy today.

Also, where ever you are my friend I hope that you're doing well, and that you still have that awesome smile on your face and that you're happy.

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