The Simple Things

“A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.” 
― Walt Whitman

                        I, for sometime, somewhat imagined that I could be perfectly happy. no tears. no anxieties, no insecurities and no fears... but then I realized that, well,... that's not reality... but merely something one picks up from fairytales. And no! I'm not saying that there's no such thing as happiness, only... I don't suppose it's always as magnificent as one imagines. 

Maybe, throughout the years... we've set standards for this so-called emotion that are far from attainable. Perfect happiness, and although I devoutly believe in the whole idea of happiness, or at least my definition of it... doesn't exist. Perhaps the world has been in search of a nonexistent gem for all these years, 

only to find that it's existence has been nothing but a mere farce and that we wasted all these years seeking has been right before us all this time!

Through the passing years of my existence, however, life has taught me to redefine "happiness". My personal definition of happiness... that's an ornate and seemingly endless list. I shall, however, narrow it down, in hopes that I shouldn't bore my valuable and very dear readers.

                     First-off, I'd like to start by saying that... well, a lot of us fail to recognize the connection between happiness and sadness, anger, melancholy, frustration,

 and the many rough patches life fancies to throw at us from time to time. And although their relativity has become lost due to their diversity, however... we must realize that the negative emotions, though a vibrant clash in comparison to happiness are a great contributor towards the formation of this positive attitude/emotion that we all like to refer to as "happiness". 

“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.” 
― Oscar Wilde

When it comes down to it, at least in my experience, with every passing heartbreak, struggle or trial has been bred a sense of enlightenment and understanding in regards to life and all of it's complexities that immediately strikes up a sense of bliss inside of me. 

In that sense, I suppose one can say that the rough patches mankind is forced to face in life can be credited to encouraging happiness. I suppose you can say, figuratively, that the tears nourish the flowers in the garden of one's soul in preparation for the episodes of joy and happiness that we are all blessed so magnificently with from time to time. And with this perspective in regards to the connection between troubles and joy... I'm able to content myself (far from saying I enjoy it) with every tear I shed... at peace with the realization that my rainbow has yet to come. 

And that it's contrast with my previously faced hardships, this token of happiness will be all the greater appreciated! And although we'll never find that jewel of happiness... the everlasting and unchanging kind, that is... that these little moments of joy are just as precious and ought to be cherished instead of being disregarded in one's search for the perfect kind... the unending sort of bliss, like they so typically tend to be. Set aside and forgotten whilst one waits for something better.

“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” 
― Paulo Coelho

*SIGH* and I promised not to ramble! We have just a little more to go in this post, unless you've already lost your attention span, that is! Anyway, I was saying... in my passing years... 19 that is. Perhaps a span interpreted as a great deal to some and very little to others, but still enough for me to have found and decipher the important things in life... those hidden happinesses that we all take for granted, and here they are! And although they may not match the listings of others, the worldly shallow sort anyway... you know, your typical list that consists of money, power and glory..

MONEY,

POWER,

GLORY.

I suppose my list might be considerably dull to some... however, in my life experience... I find that it is the most accurate depiction of this cherished emotion. You see, my definition of happiness consists of 

1. Acts of Kindness/ Love of Neighbor

The power to give... I feel, provides an enormous quantity of one's own happiness. I suppose it's in helping one's neighbor that we find that sense of achievement, that sense of self-worth that automatically tends to lead to bliss and unconditional happiness. After all, when you do things for others, you're doing things for God... I can't think of anything else that could offer anymore happiness than that! 

2. Family and Friends

              Meaning, that instead of working our lives away in hopes to achieve that shallow form of happiness that we all like to refer to as money... we ought to take the time to cherish and spend time with the ones we love. Our family and friends should hold one of the most vital parts in our lives, and of course and most importantly we must offer at least a moment or two to God. He deserves so much more than to be ignored and forgotten from the distractions of life's temporary and meaningless pleasures, after all, He IS our greatest friend!

3. Gratitude and Appreciation

That is to cherish and take in all of these precious moments, to treasure them and to never forget them. With gratitude and appreciation do I find my true source of happiness, after all... in order to decipher a moment of joy... one must first appreciate it! I think that's something a lot of us cease to remember in life, to cherish and to be thankful for the blessings God sends our way. As soon as we start to regard them, I feel that we should then begin to know them. 

And that, my dear readers, concludes my post on the realization of happiness and learning to cherish the small things. In short, that is... to know happiness when it comes your way, something that we must all remember to do as well as to find happiness in even the most minuscule of things! I hope you enjoyed this post and look forward to hearing your feedback! My love to all of you! xoxo

"Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

~ Erin <3

Glamorous

"Beauty and femininity are ageless and can't be contrived, and glamour, although the manufacturers won't like this, cannot be manufactured. Not real glamour; it's based on femininity.”~ Marilyn Monroe 

Throughout the years, "glamour" has provided a considerably bankable commodity for the producers of Hollywood. Think; Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, Gloria Swanson, Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Brigitte Bardot... the list goes on. 

However, as most come to realize in the end... becoming something "bankable" eventually graduates into becoming somewhat of an object. The Hollywood producers will feed off of you as if you're some kind of commercial object... they'll advertise your assets to the public and sell plenty of box office tickets to their own selfish advantage. 

Despite, however, just how glamorous the flashing lights of Hollywood may seem, the beauty... the glamour and the riches, in the end... fame and glamour are far from worth the hardship. I suppose it's about time that society redefines glamour. Of course, I'll always have a fondness for that Old School Glamour, the glamour donned by the ravishing screen legends from yesteryear, I think true glamour resides in far more than just the rouge one paints upon their cheek, the diamonds that dangle from their ear lobes or the furs that dangle over their arms... that glamour and beauty are far less important than the inner beauty that one is capable of offering society. That is, the beauty that the camera is far from capable of capturing. The type of glamour that can't be marketed for cash, but for the winning of hearts instead. 

"A symbol becomes a thing. I just hate to be a thing."~ Marilyn Monroe

If only a great majority of the world could realize the importance of inner beauty in opposition to the glitz and glam of Hollywood's so-called "glamour" how much better off would society be!

So, in conclusion to this post, let us all strive to focus on the inner beauty and  that we are all capable of offering society in opposition to the so overly renowned depiction that Hollywood has created of what most like to call "glamour". After-all, we all know that despite its' surface... is something far from capable of offering a person true happiness. 

~ Erin xoxo <3