WEEKLY MEDITATION
He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in Eternity’s Sun rise
-William Blake
For those with addiction problems, it can be very easy to forget that life is not meant to be an unending experience of happiness and joy. Furthermore, the concept of happiness can be easily misunderstood if it is seen only as the absence of negative feelings or as synonymous to fun. The pursuit of happiness can easily become another addictive state if it is not pursued correctly. A life well lived is one of balance. Within this balance should necessarily be time for fun and feelings of happiness. But there must also be time for work, study, waiting, and many other activities that aren’t necessarily associated with instantaneous feelings of happiness. Often, in fact, it is the more immediately mundane activities in life that pave the way for a deeper experience of personal fulfillment and contentment, and that keep our lives functioning smoothly. If feelings of happiness become the goal in life, it is very easy to want to avoid the kind of focus and hard work necessary to create the life we truly want to live. It is realistic to want and to expect happiness in life. But it is important to remember that feelings of happiness and joy are ephemeral, meant to be experienced as evidence that we are taking care of ourselves correctly. Their acute experiences are ultimately moods, part of the landscape of a full and fruitful life. It is very important not to make these feelings end goals in themselves.
