Can I Be Happy Now?

Often people fall into the trap of thinking, “Once I have _______, then I’ll be happy.”  The problem with that is that whenever they get _______, that thing or person or whatever it is… is then often replaced by something else… and happiness is something that lives eternally in the future.  This is one of the dangers of goal-setting.  Sometimes you can become so focused on your goals that you forget to live today.

I don’t want to do that.  I want to be smarter than that.

So now I’m asking myself a question:  What do I want from all of the things I want?  For example, I want to take a year off of work.  I want to marry Susan.  I want to join an a capella group.  I want to go to Italy.  But what is it that I think all of these things will give me?  What is the desire that underlies them all?

I guess it’s what most of us want:  We want to be happy.  To be at peace with ourselves and the world.

So, the question then that follows is:  Do I need to do all, or any, of those things in order to be happy or at peace?  Hmmm…  That’s what I tell myself sometimes, yes.  But is it really true?  Can I be happy now? Can I be happy without those things?  Or before I have those things? In fact, maybe being happy now would help to create those things…  Would it?

I have no great answers.  Just these contemplations right now.  Truth is that I am quite happy with my life as it is.  There’s just this gnawing feeling that it could be so much more.

Can I enjoy the journey of life and not always have my eye on the destination?  How do I set goals, dream, and strive for great things, and at the same time, be present and happy right now?

My heart tells me that stopping the activity of my mind is one way.  It is when my mind is caught up in the to-do’s of work and my emotions are on overdrive to accomplish a million different things… that I feel detached from my own soul.  So, for now, I will just stop.

A Blog of Lofty Dreams

I’m starting this blog as I set a new goal.  And no, not just any goal, but a big, lofty goal.  This will be my space to dream, and to turn my dreams into reality.  Here is my new lofty goal:

To make at least $100,000 per year (that’s the lofty part) doing what I love, which includes singing, writing, performing, leading a group of fantastic performers, running my own “Art 4 Justice” company and website, bringing awareness to important social and political issues, and building a strong community of kind, caring artists dedicated to making the world a better place.

Why?  Well, I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to make a living doing what I love.  We all want to be happy, and with the amount of time we spend working, it seems that being able to work at something we really love sure would contribute to our level of happiness.

Why $100,000 per year?  Great question.  Many artists, musicians, and poets just accept that money often does not come along with their creative pursuits.  They resolve to being poor, even starving, artists.  I know that many struggle to make even a meager living, and in the end, I am fine with just getting by (although, I don’t want to starve!).  However, this is my space to really dream.  My dream is to make a great income in order to support myself AND help others in need. I don’t want this money so that I can buy a mansion and a pile of diamonds; I want it, because I am dedicated to bringing more peace and justice into the world.  People with a lot of money don’t always know what to do with it, and they end up wasting it on extravagant material items that they think will make them happier (and never do).  If I have more money than I need, I will give it to organizations that are working hard to make a positive difference in the world.  In one of my blogs here I will make a list of some of the organizations I have found thus far that I think are really worthy of support.  My intention is to always live within my means, not to create a life of luxury for myself while so many others in the world are going hungry and dying of very curable diseases.  I want to put that extra money to good use and help those in need.  I have been blessed with a relatively rich life, and I vow to try to make things more fair for all in the world, whether I have a bunch of money to help me do it or just my imagination and dedication.

I’ve created a list of tasks to complete as I start this journey.  Here are my first tasks:

• Go to MuseDaze on Tuesdays (http://www.poorwettree.com/Home/musedaze-on-tuesdays) – a new, free poetry workshop for adults.  I’ll check it out, and decide whether it is something I want to continue.
• Simply make a list of songs that bring me great joy.  I’ll go through my CDs, look through songs I’ve written myself, do some research online, and reconnect with the music that makes me smile.

Also, this blog is a step towards my goal.  Welcome to my journey…