“Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination.”
While we all may have different definitions for exactly what it means, we all want to be happy. No one wants to be sad, upset, angry or grumpy. The problem is that far too many of us suffer from the “I’ll be happy when” line of thought, chasing fame, love, riches or whatever else, assuming that we’ll finally be satisfied when we achieve that end goal.
But life doesn’t work that way. It’s not about the actual destination, as the late Roy M. Goodman points out. Happiness is not about landing that high-paying job or buying that extravagant mansion at the top of the hill. It’s not about getting to some mythical place that no one else can find. Even when you get to Shangri-La or El Dorado, you may not be happy.
Many have said that happiness is about the journey itself, living in the moment and relishing in your stumbles as much as your triumphs. It’s about meandering on and off the beaten path to discover life on your own terms. Happiness about the little things. However, it can also be argued that there’s more to being happy than just mindlessly wandering through life with some ultimately meaningless destination in mind; it’s about the sense of making positive strides and moving in what you perceive to be the right direction. It’s about traveling in what you believe to be the right way.
And you might say that’s how Roy M. Goodman decided to lead his life. He served as the New York Republican County Committee Chairman for two decades and he was a member of the New York State Senate for even longer. While I am not familiar with his politics, I can say with some confidence that he probably aimed to travel–with the people of New York alongside–in the right direction with the right mode of transportation.
Happiness is a mindset and a philosophy, not a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
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