I've come to the conclusion that there are two types of people. I classify the world into two types of people constantly. It's always true but the types are interchangeable. For instance...
There are two types of people....
Disney people & Universal People
PS3 & Wii
People who appreciate music & Country music fans
Soccer fans & morons
The two groups I speak of tonight are those who can recognize happiness and those who never do. Both groups tend to be quite unhappy. As a whole, humanity is quite self-centered and self-loathing. You see, those who are unable to recognize happiness in their lives constantly talk about the "way they wish things were." Those who are able to recognize usually always speak of the "way things used to be."
For some reason, happiness is never in the present tense. It's always something that was or could be. Tonight I find myself in the reminiscent group. I think often of how things were. The laughter, enjoyment, peace, contentment that used to be. Friendships that have almost disappeared; work projects that were filled with so much promise and joy; the trust and love that once kept groups together; the excitement and creativity that kept you coming back for more.
The truth of it all is that this idea of happiness, the one we've built up in our minds, is an illusion. The happiness illusion exists because we either forget about the hardships and difficulties that we walked through in the past or we neglect to think about the cost of future joy. Very, very rarely do we stop to soak up true happiness. The moment happening right now; the memory to be that you'll think back so fondly of; the moment that others are looking forward to experiencing for themselves one day. Almost no one can see the happiness found in "now."
The happiness illusion will continue to frustrate you until you decide to see it for what it is. It's the failure to live in the present. Only when you live and soak up the marrow of the moment right now will you truly be happy with your circumstances. I'm pretty sure that's why Jesus encouraged us so much.
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