When 'happiness' eludes us - as, eventually, it always will - we have the invitation to examine our programmed responses and to exercise our power to choose again.
Interpretation
Happiness is not a constant state, and when it becomes elusive, we have the opportunity to reflect and make new choices.
This quote by Richard Rohr highlights the transient nature of happiness, suggesting that it will come and go in our lives. When we find ourselves struggling to be happy, it serves as a prompt to look inward and reassess our automatic reactions, providing us with the chance to consciously make new choices that may lead us to a more fulfilling experience of happiness.
In practice
In a motivational speech addressing life's challenges, one could use this quote to encourage self-reflection.
My scientist friends have come up with things like 'principles of uncertainty' and dark holes. They're willing to live inside imagined hypotheses and theories. But many religious folks insist on answers that are always true. We love closure, resolution and clarity, while thinking that we are people of 'faith'! How strange that the very word 'faith' has come to mean its exact opposite.
The gift of darkness draws you to know God’s presence beyond what thought, imagination, or sensory feeling can comprehend.
I cannot illustrate huge differences between male and female spiritualities except in their starting points, style and fascinations along the way. This is significant, however, and has huge pastoral implications: men must be challenged in the world of doing; women must be challenged in the world of relating.
Much of the Christian religion has largely become “holding on” instead of letting go. But God, it seems to me, does the holding on (to us!), and we must learn the letting go (of everything else).
We do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.
I've had the good fortune of teaching and preaching across much of the globe, while also struggling to make sense of my experience in my own tiny world.
Even people who believe they deserve to be happy and have nice things often don't feel worthy once they have them.
It's nonsense to say money doesn't buy happiness, but people exaggerate the extent to which more money can buy more happiness.
Happiness only real when shared.
Man is happiest when he is creating. In fact, the highest state of which man is capable lies in the creative act.
Pleasure and action make the hours seem short.
The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not.
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