Is the Search for Happiness Wrong?
I was reading a travel blog recently in which the author posed an interesting thought: What if the search for happiness is actually the wrong path to be taking? The assumption he made was that happiness is really just a shadow of something else. That something else? Meaning.
This got me thinking. Since my trauma occurred in 2007, I have not been happy, generally. I spent a lot of time, and money, trying to obtain it. It was a frustrating chase to be sure. Happiness was either hiding from me or maybe, I thought, I was on the wrong path. I came to the author’s same conclusion last April during a documentary interview I was participating in regarding the Interstate 35W Bridge collapse. I was missing “happy” because I was unsure of my meaning and purpose.
So my investigation shifted. First, I had to understand what my purpose was. I read a fantastic book called “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek. Through that, I realized I derive meaning from helping others take a step toward improving themselves in some way. This is where I get my drive. So how do I do THAT?
I’ve spent the past several months searching for a new job that allows me to do that in some way. The searching has borne joys and frustrations. I haven’t landed that job yet, but I am confident it will arrive. And when I obtain it, I will feel assured that the job I am doing has purpose that fuels me.
I’ve also realized that “living with meaning” isn’t solely corralled within the confines of a job. I have started a podcast in which I am interviewing others who have undergone trauma or hardship in order to glean learnings and insights that others can benefit from. This project aligns with my purpose and as a result makes me — wait for it — happy. I am excited about these interviews and the potentially infinite number of people they can impact. I hope to marry this with public speaking opportunities to help others suffering and stuck be able to grasp purpose and meaning.
I agree with the blogger. Like a shadow, happiness cannot be captured but it can be bathed in IF we are able to discover meaning and start dancing with it.
