CFC Blog #46: Happiness

FROM PIP: Wow.    I have no words (yet) that describe what Muayyad share below though I suspect I may read it ten more times in the next ten mornings to provide a guide to richly study and contemplate.

This week one of the Road Makers groups we bring together met in Park City, Utah.    On my way home I thought of a few songs: 

“Human” — a cry to be treated kindly

“Under Pressure” — my favorite song of all time because of its amazing bringing together of immense intense fear giving way to immense intense pleading for love

and “Walk On” by U2… an respect, seeing and encouragement for all Road Makers…

And I know it aches

And your heart it breaks

And you can only take so much

Walk on, walk on

And THEN – as if those thoughts weren’t powerful enough -- I read this note forwarded from Muayyad.

Muayyad — thank you for being such a friend and thinking of me.

…pip

(FROM MUAYYAD AL-CHALABI)

Good morning Pip,

I thought of sharing this inspirational message about generating Happiness. 
-- muayyad

HAPPINESS

"You can have flaws, be anxious, and ever angry, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world. 

Only you can stop it from going bust. 

Many appreciate you, admire you and love you. 

Remember that to be happy is not to have a sky without a storm, a road without accidents, work without fatigue, relationships without disappointments. To be happy is to find strength in forgiveness, hope in battles, security in the stage of fear, love in discord. It is not only to enjoy the smile, but also to reflect on the sadness.It is not only to celebrate the successes, but to learn lessons from the failures.It is not only to feel happy with the applause, but to be happy in anonymity. 

Being happy is not a fatality of destiny, but an achievement for those who can travel within themselves.

To be happy is to stop feeling like a victim and become your destiny's author. It is to cross deserts, yet to be able to find an oasis in the depths of our soul. It is to thank God for every morning, for the miracle of life. 

Being happy is not being afraid of your own feelings. 

It's to be able to talk about you. 

It is having the courage to hear a "no”. 

It is confidence in the face of criticism, even when unjustified. 

It is to kiss your children, pamper your parents, to live poetic moments with friends, even when they hurt us. 

To be happy is to let live the creature that lives in each of us, free, joyful and simple. 

It is to have maturity to be able to say: "I made mistakes". It is to have the courage to say "I am sorry”. 

It is to have the sensitivity to say, "I need you”. 

It is to have the ability to say "I love you”. 

May your life become a garden of opportunities for happiness ... That in spring may it be a lover of joy. In winter a lover of wisdom. And when you make a mistake, start all over again. For only then will you be in love with life. 

You will find that to be happy is not to have a perfect life. 

But use the tears to irrigate tolerance. 

Use your losses to train patience. 

Use your mistakes to sculpter serenity. 

Use pain to plaster pleasure. 

Use obstacles to open windows of intelligence. 

Never give up .... Never give up on people who love you. Never give up on happiness, for life is an incredible show."