Are You Happy?

Are you happy? It should be an easy question to answer—either yes or no. Simple! 

Here's why I struggle to answer that question. If I say no, I feel I'm disappointing the one asking. Even worse, making the one asking feel like they've failed me somehow. I believe I'm largely responsible for how I am emotionally, and I don't want others to feel like my state of happiness depends on them. But, on the other hand, saying yes doesn't necessarily communicate how I'm feeling at any given time either. 

Occasionally, I have other emotions involved. On occasion, life and work will be a struggle, and I'll ask, "Why am I here, and how did my life's choices bring me to this point?" I tend to ask these questions when I see someone really enjoying what they're doing at work. 

Like you, my career has not been one straight shot. I'm nowhere near to what my 8-year-old self imagined I'd be. I've been many things. There's an old Frank Sinatra song that resonates with me; here's the chorus.

"I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet

A pawn and a king

I've been up and down and over and out

And I know one thing

Each time I find myself

Flat on my face

I pick myself up and get

Back in the race"

I've never been a pirate- I didn't even know that was on the table as an option! Would I be happier if I had decided to explore a career in piracy, poetry, or monarchy? Possibly, but my life is finite, and I only have so much energy to invest in these daydreams. I'm delighted that we live in a universe of possibilities- and if there is such thing as a multiverse, where a King Jordan might exist, I'm ok with that! 

So here is how I answer the question, are you happy?

My answer is this; I'm grateful for the experiences I've had and am committed to the people and roles I have in my life right now. It's the path I've chosen, and I'm happy to walk it!

Friend, thank you for joining me in my very small quiet corner of the Internet. Enjoy your journey this week!

Am I happy? I’m grateful and committed.