A letter to you, the reader:
Everyone looks for the same thing… but only a few are real enough to find it…
Most People Fail At Being Happy. But You Don't Have To...
Happiness is within your reach as long as you’re willing to forgive the past, live in the present, and hope in the future…
From: Michael Cassman
West of Langford Cove, TN
Thursday, 8:05am
Dear Friend,
The greatest gift you can give yourself would be to allow yourself to be happy. Not just when you feel happy, but always and everywhere… especially when you feel unhappy.
Happiness is not merely an emotion and it’s not necessarily connected with “feelin’ good”, “havin’ fun”, “lovin’ life”, or anything else that we commonly say “makes us happy.”
We all recognize that there are different degrees of happiness. Coffee makes you happy but not in the same way that time with friends makes you happy. Choosing the love of your life makes you happy, but this is only a part of the happiness you find by living the life you’re meant to live.
It’s all too common that we see the richest, most famous, (and allegedly), the happiest people on the planet finally reveal that their lives are actually an endless misery.
If pleasure, riches, and fame are really what make people truly happy, then the lives of the ultra-rich and ultra-famous wouldn’t be littered with betrayal, depression, and drug abuse, not to mention a suicide rate hundreds of times higher than the general population…
This is simply not the behavior of happy people.
It seems that those people who have everything we’re told will bring happiness often fail to actually be happy…
In contrast, there have been survivors of WW2 era Soviet death camps that went on to write books explaining how even while being starved, beaten, and enslaved, they were able to find true happiness surrounded by Communist torturers and miles of barbed wire.
Likewise, there are historical records of early Christians being horrifically mutilated and publicly fed to wild beasts… They sang songs of joy right up until the very moment the lions tore them apart…
In contrast, there have been survivors of WW2 era Soviet death camps that went on to write books explaining how even while being starved, beaten, and enslaved, they were able to find true happiness surrounded by Commuinst tortures and miles of barbed wire.
Likewise, there are historical records of early Christians being horrifically mutilated and publicly fed to wild beasts… They sang songs of joy right up until the very moment the lions tore them apart…
When a person is able to be happy even in suffering, that’s when you know it’s real.
This is true happiness… This is the kind of joy that can never be taken from you. This is the greatest gift we can give ourselves…
What’s the secret?
Short answer… There’s not one. No secret, no magic, and no sketchy herbs from “enlightened” gurus from the Orient. The key to happiness is very much a part of who you are… you merely have to choose to accept it. Most people don’t.
This topic is beyond the scope of this small letter, and so I’ll give you the shorthand that I hope I can explain further on my blog:
- True happiness is found by loving and living in God.
- Be grateful in the present and hopeful for the future.
- Accept pains and sorrows as a gift, God allowed them for your good.
- Forgive others, (and yourself), for mistakes and failures and seek to do better.
- Choose to be happy because God is present in your life right now.
- Talk to Him as a friend… He’s always ready to listen.
There you have it… Seeking God is the “secret” to happiness. We can almost call it a real secret in our days because it’s so horribly unpopular and deliberately obscured by our society.
Now, normally I don’t ask strangers for favors, but…
If you’re unhappy in your life, please do me two BIG favors…
First BIG Favor:
Get rid of whatever you can that’s bad for you.
We all say things like, “I’d just be so much happier if I got off of social media”, or “man, if only I stopped doing [x] I’d be better off”, or “yeah, it’s a bad habit, I’ll stop at some point”…
Stop saying and start doing…
Identify what those things are in your life and actually get rid of them, (even just temporarily). I promise, Facebook will be around even if you’re gone for a week…
Then you can put that extra time, energy, and attention toward something that’s actually good for you. (Might I recommend using that time for prayer?)
Even just 10-15 minutes a day of removing something negative and adding something positive can change your life.
Second BIG Favor:
Try to make God a bigger part of your daily existence.
(He already makes you exist anyway…)
Make time to pray, meditate, or read the Scriptures. Get to Church and frequent the Sacraments, especially Communion and Confession. Pray your rosary with the family or while your driving. Just talk to God throughout your day, complain to him about your problems and ask Him for help.
He came down to earth and died for you… He doesn’t mind hearing from you every once in a while. He loves you and wants to be part of your life.
These two big favors are important and I hope you do them.
Remember:
Big Favor # 1 – Kick out whatever you can that’s bad for you.
Big Favor # 2 – Make God a bigger part of your life.
No change is easy and this kind of change is not the easiest, but it’s what we’re made for. Only you can take this step to a better and happier life… Embrace it!
As I said earlier, God isn’t winning any popularity contests among the human race these days and He’s often painted as the all-powerful and all-boring killjoy when it comes to enjoying life.
Anyone who thinks that has a terribly mistaken view of God, life, and our place in it. It’s our job to prove them wrong and bring them along for the ride.
Now that the most important words are written:
Hi, my name is Michael Cassman, it’s nice to meet you. Thank you for visiting my page.
Sincerely,
— Michael
