Vacuosity

Happiness 2.0

I've been giving some thought to happiness lately, and I think I have to redefine it.

What does being happy mean for me these days? I'm not sure yet, but I know it means letting go of old dreams and making new ones. Also, not regretting the past (or at least not allowing that regret to overshadow new opportunities) and still growing as a person.

Short story: I really like the sport of Parkour (or Freerunning. Youtube it, and you'll know what I mean). I liked it way before I even knew it had a name. There's a group that meets down at the Forks and trains in a gym in the South end. I told the guy who leads the group that I love the sport but hate the fact that I know I'm too old for it. Truthfully, it bothers me quite a bit. He said, "Well, you can always better than you are right now."

There's a lot of truth in that. Improvements, no matter how small, are something to be proud of and enjoy, even just within yourself. Even if no one else knows.

I think that's where self-esteem comes from. Not in just accepting yourself as you are, (there's some of that), but more from making incremental changes that make you better, and allowing yourself to feel proud of that. Yes, self-esteem is graded on a curve, but the curve isn't against everyone else. It's against yourself.

And happiness isn't just contentment. It's a complex and fragile concoction of contentment, acceptance, realism, love, pride and hope.

Labels: happiness, self-esteem

posted by David @ 2:11 p.m.