For want of a better...

I vaguely remember this sermon given by Fr Simon LaBrooy, when he did mass @ Divine Mercy Church, Shah Alam. It was during the 3rd Sunday of Advent, and the theme for that particular day was "Joy".

It got me thinking... what is this concept of Joy? Yes, we all know that it means happiness, but what is happiness to us? Is what we define as happiness really happiness? Or is it just a "one-night-stand" thingy which disappears after a while, leaving us hungrier for even more?

When we ask people about what they define as happiness, a lot of folks normally associate happiness with WEALTH. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, MONEY. So, before we proceed to hang these people on a cross (i.e. crucify them KAU-KAU verbally), let's see why they associate money with happiness:

We live in uncertain times today in our country. Fuel's expensive, food prices are on the rise, companies retrenching their workers, cost of education and living are generally skyrocketing... We have a lot of miserable people who are not able to provide for themselves and their family sufficiently (and frankly, with the way things are going, I'm at risk of becoming like one of them too).

However, happiness that's brought about with wealth has one characteristic: it doesn't last long. The euphoria of making a killer sale and earning a good commission, or the excitement when your new car arrives at your doorstep. Don't you find that the happiness only lasts for a couple of days? Then after that, you start to want something else to make you happy?

I feel that happiness does not come from there. Personally, this is what makes me happy:

• I come through the door, and my darling Michelle is there, waiting for me. The smile on her face when she sees me makes me happy.
• We all come home to a loving family, with mom, dad and our siblings, over a nice dinner... now that makes me really happy.
• Going to church, and meeting friends and relatives there, that does it too!

You see, it's not material in nature. Yes, we need money and all to survive, but that must not be the thing that makes us happy! I find that if I find happiness in the ability to acquire material wealth, I'll always be left hungry for more, and I work harder and harder and make everyone around me sad and frustrated that I am not able to spend time with them, I feel the despair of not having a life at all... list goes on (hey, been there, done that, and AIN'T DOING THAT AGAIN!!) And when I find that someone else has more than me, it makes me frustrated, it makes me beat myself up, asking myself what did I do wrong? Why is person A so much richer than me? Why can he afford this and that while I'm practically fucked here?

NO! I told myself. The simple things in life make me happy. I started meditating more, thanking the heavenly powers that I have people like Mom, Elaine and Michelle (hugz to all of you), thankful that I can love and be loved, thankful that I'm not of ill health or having any serious ailments, thankful that I have no handicaps... you see, these things make me happy. It's not necessarily money. I mean, sure I'm happy that I've got a top-score rating at my workplace for my performance for 2009, I'm doubly happy that I have been promoted (okay, I've a reason to be happy here because prior to 11 August 2008, getting promoted was a miracle for me)... but hey, there's more to life than money.

Fact is, the reason that there's so much crime, hatred, misery, and all that "bad-stuff" is because people are too materialistic when they define happiness. And when that type of short-lived happiness dies of, they are left wanting more, and more and more and more.... and THIS is the root of all evil. Money isn't the evil thing. PEOPLE are evil. Evil spawned by the WANT for more. One wife not enough, want girlfriend outside. Salary from their job not enough, still want to engage in shady stuff to get money. One theme park not enough, they want 2 (haha, get the joke?)

So, let's think again of how we define happiness, shall we? Now I did mention about crucifying some assholes above, did I? Let's do it!