When I was younger, I would look for happiness in any place I could: money, clothes, people, anything of that nature, basically. And yes, for a short time those things did make me happy, but I always found myself trying to fill the same void over and over again. My story goes a little like this- eight years of trying to find myself, and then along comes Jesus, bringing me eternal happiness. Most of my happiness comes from my relationship with God, but I find happiness in more than just Him. I have learned to appreciate every single thing that has been given to me and to find happiness in the smallest and darkest places possible. Why live your life any other way, ya know? The more grateful you are for the little things, the happier you will find yourself. Don’t take a single thing for granted. Do whatever it is that makes you happy and live a life with no regrets. And rejoice in the Lord for all that you have and will continue to receive. All of those things are my keys to happiness.
It’s easy to get caught up in the swing of things and lose sight of what makes us truly happy. We settle for jobs we don’t want because it pays better than what our dream job does. We settle for people because they offer more social or monetary gain to us than the people who have bigger hearts but smaller wallets. We settle. Don’t ever settle my friends. For anything. No man, no woman, no job, nothing. Don’t ever settle for less than your worth because once you do that, you deprive yourself of true happiness and true fulfillment. Chase whatever dream lives inside you, no matter what. You don’t think you can do it? Nonsense. I know you can do it. You don’t want to take the risk? Anything worth having is worth the risk. Don’t know where to start? Ask God. Afraid you’ll fail? Pray. Do not put your life on auto-pilot. Take control, do what makes you happy, and don’t look back. Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.
The happiness and the joy that I have found in the Lord is unlike anything else on this earth. In Him, I have found what truly brings joy into my life and what truly sets my soul on fire. I have found confidence in myself that I never had before; confidence keeps me on the right path. Rock bottom became the foundation that I rebuilt my life on and it was there that I found God and got to see what He had planned for me: a life full of love and grace and happiness. It doesn’t matter how much money we make or how big our house is or what kind of car we drive; all that matters is that we surround ourselves with the love of God and people who make us happy. I’m not saying God is the only way to achieve happiness, but I am saying that I have lived a life without him and a life with him…and the life I live with him is a happy one.
I pray that we all find what we’re looking for, and that the journey to find those things is an adventurous one. I pray that we stop settling and start going after what truly makes us happy, and that we become more aware of His presence and what He can do for our lives and our happiness. God bless.
