The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...

Yes, Ankesh, I do understand life is a journey -- and one must enjoy it ALONG THE WAY.

In fact, I recently wrote, in another forum, this (two posts)...

The Happiness Trail...

A series of events and reflective thoughts have led me to this idea...

"The Happiness Trail" (if there is one) is not a 'trail' one tries to
put oneself ON.

Let me clarify that -- during my previous 48 years, I had assumed
that, if I took a left here, and a right there, I could strive to get
myself ON "The Happiness Trail." Like some yellow brick road.

In fact, it is impossible to put oneself 'on' the happiness trail,
because the happiness trail doesn't even exist as a trail that is *in
front of* oneself.

No.

The real "Happiness Trail" is a trail one leaves *behind* oneself.

That is, it is a trail one *creates* and leaves behind, just as a boat
leaves a 'wake.'

It is created in the form of one's legacy -- even if one's 'legacy' is
minute, or unremarkable.

It is the 'trail' of happiness one leaves behind, that is created via
the living of one's life. Minute by minute, day by day, year by year.

You can do it by accident, or you can do it on purpose -- doesn't matter.

The point remains -- the goal is not to ATTAIN happiness (as in
'reaching' for it). The best goal, as one travels through time, is to
CREATE happiness -- for the purposes of increasing the happiness RATIO
of *the 'trail' one leaves behind* -- one's 'wake.'

I came upon this idea on my own -- but I'm sure it must have
connections to already-existing philosophies out there.

I think being a father has a lot to do with it. But there are other
things that have happened to me recently (plus I'm getting older) that
have turned this light on in my mind.

In any case, this light becomes brighter every day for me -- and I'm
glad about it!

Can anyone else in the group relate?

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Basically I was saying my eureka (which is a 180 degree 'phase shift'
to what I used to think)...

Happiness should not be looked for in the 'incoming' box. It can be
found in the 'outgoing' box.

It is not something that is *in front* of you (to be reached), it is
something that is *behind* you -- something that is *produced* by you,
to be left for you and others to realize.

It is not something you 'ingest' or 'absorb' (from without) -- it is
something that emanates *from* you.

It is thinking about death + mortality (among other things) that has
led me to this 'new' philosophy.

How much 'happiness' will each of *produce* during the 30 or so years
we have left?

When you realize happiness is something we each can PRODUCE (as seen
in this philosophy), then we must ask ourselves how much + when will
we produce, in the time we have left (and none of us knows how much
time that will really be).

We must also realize, the answer to the question of how much happiness
we will PRODUCE (each day or even hour), is entirely up to us!

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However, that "Life's a Journey" idea doesn't EXCUSE us if we become WANDERING GENERALITIES, either.

We still must have GOALS -- and the means by which to measure those goals -- benchmarks.

"Life's a Journey" is NOT the same as "Que Sera Sera!!!"

Great video clip though -- thanks!

-- TW