It's a sign that you're settling for something, rather than striving and pushing for more. The strong people fight battles to reach a point, and when they get there they keep on pushing to the next. No sitting back, no time for rest, there's too much to be achieved.
Happiness is a wishy-washy feeling.
I truly believed that.
*
I used to love doing mosaics.
My favourite is a wrought iron table that I decorated after finding inspiration in some old flooring in Pompeii.
I remember the day we were there, just a couple of tourists wandering around laughing and feeling great about being in Italy. It was only as we spotted the remains of the people who died at Pompeii that we stopped and took some time to realise how devastating this disaster had been.
A suffering so devastating that even 2,000 years later their faces and bodies are contorted with pain.
Weird how seeing that can inspire happiness in someone.
Putting a mosaic together was therapeutic, an act of taking something that's perfectly perfect and smashing it apart. And then carefully setting the pieces in another way, patiently finding the next piece to fit perfectly. Trial and error. And when that right piece is found it's stuck down to become a permanent piece of the picture.
*
Happiness isn't weak, as it turns out.
What it means is that someone has searched and tried different pieces and they've finally found one worth sticking into place. Among all the wrong pieces, happiness is the almost elusive one that brings all the others together, transforming them from random pieces of nothing to a real picture.
Happiness is far from settling. It only happens after having the strength to discard the pieces that don't fit, or might fit okay but aren't quite perfect.
And it only exists between the past and the search for the next piece that's just right.
Happiness is having the strength to enjoy the moment as it lasts. It's finding the ability to bask in the bliss despite the uncertainty of whether a right piece even exists for the next step.
It's one piece in an entire picture, and without that piece the image wouldn't be whole.
There's nothing weak about that.
Definitely, nothing weak about happiness. Some say life is a constant struggle for more. I say there is nothing wrong with finding happiness, contentment, and peace with the pieces of our life that fit well.
ReplyDeleteThe table is beautiful and so is your analogy about the pieces of life and happiness. I can only hope my life turns out as nice as your table but so far so good:)
ReplyDeleteTruly beautiful - what an amazing analogy! I'd never thought of it like that.
ReplyDeletenice post Megan. This gave me a new perspective
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that happiness is not a weakness. Yes it take trying different pieces in our life until we find the right fit for ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you wrote this out.