Finding Happiness in ...

Someone once said there are two important days in one's life, the day you were born, and the day you discover why. The pursuit of that discovery leads many down various paths. Many have documented their definitions of why they are born. Some believe it is to experience life to the fullest by living every minute in splendor, others believe it is to serve. I believe your purpose on earth is best defined by the guy upstairs who made you; He alone can fully articulate His intent for creating you. Nonetheless, I believe thriving in that purpose provides fulfillment, satisfaction, and, dare I say, Happiness.

The following is a paraphrased snippet adapted from a post on LinkedIn I saw a few months back (can't recall the source).

A professor gave a balloon to every student, who had to inflate it, write their name on it and throw it in the hallway. The professor then mixed all the balloons. The students were then given 5 minutes to find their balloon. Despite a hectic search, no one found their balloon.

At that point, the professor told the students to take the first balloon they found and hand it to the person whose name was written on it. Within 5 minutes, everyone had their named balloon.

The professor said to the students: "These balloons are like happiness. We will never find it if everyone is looking for their own. But if we care about other people's happiness, we'll find ours too."

Based on this short story, could our happiness (or fulfillment) in life be tied to serving others? Could it be that meeting the needs of those around us in love is the way to self-fulfillment? Again, I return to a statement I made earlier that our God is likely the best person to answer this question for us all. I merely present a discovery path connecting a dot to His assignment to Adam, Moses, and Jesus Christ, where they were charged to serve (the land, the people, and the world, in that order). Should we be finding happiness in service to others?

Best wishes,

L.B.