H is for Happy Hour

Note: I'm throwing my hat into the A-Z Blogging challenge sponsored by Tossing it out! What you will be reading via the letters A-Z is a little bio about me. This will give you a glimpse into my work world and what I do when I'm not here - blogging. 

Is this what it’s come to - reducing poor little happy into a one hour time slot?

Seems like it, doesn’t it.

Well, pull up a stool, pour yourself a drink and stay a while...this lounge singer’s got a song just for you…

Somewhere in close proximity, at Joe’s Tavern or the spiffy lounge over at Hotel Way-too-Expensive, you can find a Happy Hour - just waiting to be savoured and enjoyed by one and all. (of legal drinking age) 

I often have wondered what it is in our lives, these days, that helps us define our personal state of happiness. 

The conclusion I have drawn, after all my wondering, is that to most people happiness is something you acquire, rather than seeing it as something that is a built-in feature that just needs to be activated.

Each of us has the potential for happiness, but somewhere along the line it is (like deliberate dialogue) de-activated and held, like a dangling carrot, in front of us - ever elusive and ever unattainable.

I’m here to set a few things straight about Happy Hour.

First things first, happiness isn’t something you tuck into an hour and wipe your hands of  - it’s an ongoing process - one that requires some effort to initiate but once it’s up and running there’s no going back. 

But, some of you are shaking your heads, aren’t you?

You’re talking to your screen, saying something like, “But I hate my job, my spouse and/or my kids are driving me to Joe’s - bills and health issues are bogging me down - how the hell am I supposed to be happy?

Well, stop looking at this from the outside and letting all your outside “baggage” prevent you from experiencing the true state of happiness and having a real Happy Hour all day long. 

Have you noticed that even though there are things all around us that are beyond our control the one that we most lose sight of is our ability to take control of our emotions, and subsequently how we let things effect us, which in turn, creates a state of unhappiness. 

It’s a vicious circle - but let’s take a circuitous journey down the path of happiness according to ME - Queen Happy!

I get up every morning and regardless of the baggage waiting by my bed I am happy to be alive. Fo me, this means I have just won the Life Lottery and now have, at my disposal, twenty-four hours (hopefully) to ??

?? = what exactly - you will need to fill in the question marks for yourself.

For me, I try to start each day with a clean slate and see it as a new beginning. Sure, stuff from yesterday has followed me here, into this brand new day, but it can only affect my state of happiness if I let it - AND I DON’T. 

Okay, how about the other night during my Mac meltdown - was I happy then? 

Well, I wasn’t unhappy - annoyed, aggravated, irritated, ticked, frustrated, anxious and even concerned - but I was not unhappy. My mood as far as my life in general was concerned, outside of my Gmail issues, was still happy. 

Another misconception is that money buys happiness. 

Well, in fact, during Happy Hour I imagine some people do think they are buying happiness. 

It’s what happens after this small window of happiness closes that is very sad - these seekers of one hour happy are disillusioned and fall into despair as they wind their way home to face the unhappiness they have created, but don’t want to own.

Money can buy a sense of security and creature comforts - but if happiness doesn’t exist prior to having money, no amount of it will make you happy. This is a fact! People need to believe it! 

Each one of us determines our own state of happiness. Take a moment to activate this long forgotten internal switch, if it isn't already on. 

It will take a wee while for it to start running smoothly without glitches (kind of like my new Mac) but once you start it you’ll be happy you did.

I believe state of mind and happiness are linked and thus give each of us  the potential of having our own personal Happy Hour - all day long?

How are you enjoying your Happy Hour, so far?

Until I...