Note to Myself 2018: No. 5

Despite what you may have been programmed to believe,

there's no one out there that can make you happy.

You're not going to finally land

 in a big, fluffy blanket of happiness

because The Love Fairy flicks her wand 

and a handsome prince or princess

shows up in your life.

(And, on the other end of the spectrum,

you won't have permanent unhappiness

because someone exits your life,

though I admit that happiness may seem

unlikely for a while after a breakup,

a divorce, or a death).

You see,

happiness is an inside job.

You build it by learning to celebrate

all the goodness in your life.

By recognizing each and every moment

of contentment 

and learning to sustain that feeling.

By learning that if you resist what is,

you'll be fighting a losing battle.

By coming to terms with the fact

that everything changes. . . 

not only the bad stuff,

but the good stuff too.

Nothing stays the same forever.

Like fashion, 

like seasons,

life is full of cycles.

By noticing when you're so involved

with what you're doing

(usually something creative)

that you lose all track of time. . .

and then doing that kind of activity

more often.

By paying attention to moments

when you feel like all's right in the world

and being grateful for them. . .

and for the people you love

and for all the blessings you have in your life

and all the goodness that's coming your way

and for the beauty of the life lessons you're learning

that might be tough but if well-learned

needn't be repeated.

You build a sense of happiness

and abundance

moment by moment,

choice by choice.

Happiness is up to you.