You Know

January 8, 2022

You know. You know you have the right job when you love your job so much you would do it even if there were no monetary compensation. You love your job so much you would be really good at it, and you would come to work every day dancing in the street. You would get there early, no time clocks necessary. You would be happy; you would be friendly to your fellow workers and work together to get the job done. Success would be a team effort, and everyone on the team would be important. Management would be there to assist you not to criticize you and judge you. The interesting thing is that when you are really good at what you are doing, you get paid the big bucks to do it. You don’t have to chase the money; the money finds you. What is your passion? Have you spent so long chasing the mighty dollar, you have forgotten you were ever passionate about anything? Have you sold your soul so that you can take your paycheck to the bank on payday? Is your compensation enough to allow it to take away the joy you have for living for forty hours every week? Do you even have any idea what is really important to you? For as long as I can remember the thing I wanted most in life was for everyone to be happy. When I was little maybe even three or four or before I lived a life in which children should be seen and not heard. I did not have a voice. My importance had no importance. So, I spent a great deal of my time watching other people. Listening to what they had to say and trying to figure out what made people happy. If there were moments of sadness around me in my life it made me sad. I wanted to be happy. So, I watched. I listened, and if someone were unhappy, I would wipe away their tears. Adults did not listen to the opinions of children back then, so mostly I spent my time drying the tears of children who were younger than I was. I just wanted everyone to be happy. I guess it was my passion because all these years later I am still watching. Sill listening, and still am trying to help my fellow human beings find happiness. Did I mention I am 73 years old? Why I am saying it again is to let you know passion is not a thing that you get, and then throw away with the morning trash. Passion is something you are born with that grips your very soul and lives in your heart. It is God’s gift to you. You have a passion. Everyone was born with a passion for something. Throughout the years you become more passionate as you learn more about the world you live in. The more you are able to express and experience your passion the happier you will be. I do not and did not think of myself as a popular person because I take myself out of the equation. One day I counted up the number of houses I slept over at as a child. I counted 24 different families who were sharing their dinners with me on Friday nights. I was always somewhere with a friend. I loved sleeping over and seeing how other families did happiness. I used to walk down the street with what I needed in a grocery store paper bag. I never got a ride, I walked to where I wanted to be, and always had a smile on my face as I put one foot down in front of the other. So, was I popular? I don’t know. But I was happy. I enjoyed my friends and their families, and I was invited back. It was not important if I were popular. I just wanted to share happiness. It was, is and always will be my passion. Maybe I never got paid the big bucks, but when you are happy you do not need to buy as many things because stores don’t sell happiness. Maybe in reality I had more money than the rich man had. Be passionate. Be happy. It is never too late to figure out who you really are. The clock is striking seven, figuratively speaking, and the sun will be rising in the winter sky before long. Bundle up and smile as you go outside and see who is happy today. Before you go, take a look in the mirror and see if your face is smiling. Wow. To be happy or not to be happy that is the question. There is only one answer. Have a simply wonderful day. Just in case you are wondering, I like happiness better. How about you?

Granny-o