It looks fun. They look happy. When she's kissing that boy on the couch - even if they won't remember it in the morning - it looks like they have the life. The carefree life. The life that makes you happy. Sometimes we taste that life, and you know what? It's not how it looks. It's bitter, and empty, and lonely. It hurts you and changes you; it makes you hate yourself and it makes you hate your life.
I understand that it's blunt, but that's how life is: blunt. If you do this, you get that. If you do that, you get this. It's how it goes. Life develops from our actions. No matter how much fun that girl looks like she's having, she'll wake up in the morning with that drunkenly "perfect" boy with emptiness in her heart and a headache. You do this, you get that. It's how it goes.
Here's the happy part; the good part of the truth. It swings the other way, too. There is good, and happy, and wonderful in the world. A lot of it. I see it every day. They don't show true happiness in the commercials or the Cosmopolitan on the coffee table, but it's there. It's everywhere. True happiness is being with someone that makes you happy, confident, and makes you a better person. Eternal happiness is striving each day to make a difference in somebody's life, to make the world a little bit easier to bear for someone else, to lift someone's spirits and make them feel important, even if they are down and lonely and afraid.
From August to December of twenty-twelve I was completely, totally unhappy. I know why, too. I wasn't putting myself in good places, I wasn't putting myself in situations that would lead me to my goals and dreams in life. I was literally making it impossible for myself to be happy. Sunday, sitting cross-legged on her bed, my momma told me my light had come back. I am so far from perfect, it's not even funny. But I'm trying. Each and every day I am trying my hardest to be the best person I can be. I'm striving to put myself in good places, places where I can be who I want to be and places where I can live along with my beliefs. And you know what? I'm happy. As I sit here writing this post, I am completely happy. I am confident that good decisions and good surroundings will make you truly, eternally, incandescently happy. You just have to step away from the crowd and remember, always, always remember, who you are and what you stand for.
So here's the moral of this oh-so-long-and-a-little-bit-harsh post:
a) Remember your goals, and put yourself on the road to get there. No exceptions.
b) Hang in holy places, like papa says. You can only be good if you are surrounded by good.
c) It's never too late. No matter how far behind you think you are, no matter how bad you've been, there's still time to be the best person you can be! The world hasn't ended yet, now has it?
d) Love. As cliche sounding as that is, it helps everything. Love people, love everyone. Don't be afraid to help others and give them all the love you have inside you. Serve them, change them. The more you involve yourself in the service of your brothers and sisters, the less you dwell on yourself. The less you dwell on yourself, the happier you become.
e) Trust God. Really. And know that he loves you perfectly. He has plans for everyone. He wants to bless you. He wants to forgive you. He wants you happy.
I think this post was mostly for myself, but hey, I might have some pretty good advice in there. Lolz. Just kidding, I didn't just say that.
Closing thought:
We're worth it.
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