Are You Happy?

Somebody asked me the other day, "Are you happy?"

Without thinking, I responded, "Content.  Content is good.  I am grateful for content."

Content -- ". . . satisfied with what one has or is, not wanting more or anything else."
Happy --  " . . . delighted, pleased, or glad as over a particular thing."  Webster

I stand corrected, God.  I am happy, not content. Content is definitely not the American way.  I'm reminded of the television commercial of a young man riding a bike, saying he got the inspiration or goal of owning a bicycle shop while riding a bike.  Then he says when a goal is met, we make another.  Now that's the American way.  Being happy with the status quo keeps one from being miserable over stuff we don't have.  Being content with it, on the other hand, is to give up growth and progress and goal seeking.  To be content is to atrophy emotionally.

It is being a little discontent that keeps us striving and the world twirling.  It is the stuff behind inventions.  It motivates us to get off our behinds and strive again.  It's not just trying to keep up with the Joneses.  It's trying to better oneself.

Now competition with oneself -- that is the key to true internal success.  How can I make myself better today than I was yesterday?

Some endeavors, such as sports, have stats that show the fastest mile run or the tallest mountain climbed.  But when there are no existing statistics to motivate us to achieve -- much less anybody recording our efforts -- how can we measure our own selves?  We set up a competition with ourselves.  We walked one mile today, how about more tomorrow?  We wrote three articles this week, how about four next week?  If I can clear three shelves today, I can certainly do more tomorrow. 

Goal setting and fulfilling is the stuff that keeps us thriving.  It is what makes us human.

No God, I am not content after all.  I will settle now for happy.