Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Budda
You know, I thought I knew what happiness was, how to gain it, and keep it in my life. For some time I had thought that certain things would make me happy, like my iPhone, apartment, or the BMW that I don’t own yet. A voice in my head would whisper,
“You will really be living your life and become happy after you have all that you want and everything is in order…”
At the moment I am shaking my head at this confession. Let me express what I’m learning about real happiness…
I find happiness here in the woman that I see every day walking down the street with about 30lbs of bananas balancing on her head. I see happiness in the man sweeping the dirt on the already dirt-road because he is proud of who he is and what he has. Happiness is in the Rastafarian that makes a living selling bracelets that people like me buy for less than a dollar. I want to cry when I see happiness shining on the face of a street child that probably owns nothing more than the clothes that she is wearing on her back. Until now, I have not shared what I see every day here in Arusha. I see people that are proud, strong, and joyful in the lives that they live. However, these people have almost next to nothing. The other day I asked my friends Baraka and Tosh if they were happy. Their responses surprised me…
“I’m happy with the life that I live. People ask me why I laugh, because I have nothing, but I’m happy- the same as a rich man. He has money but he may be sad…. I don’t have much but I’m happy. There is no better life than the life I live.”
In Arusha, happiness is not in the things that you own, nor is it through money. All of the riches in the world cannot buy happiness. I’ve come to realize that all that I think that I need, I really don’t. They are not what bring me joy. As I pass through each day here I find that I get happiness in the small things in life, like a butterfly resting before me, the sun on my skin, or the stars shining at night. I find joy in hearing my mother laugh, singing to Whitney Houston in front of the mirror, and the smell of summer rain. These things bring me real pleasure, and nobody can take them away from me. Moments like these are blessings from God, who is the center of all my joy.
I will never have everything I want. My life will never be in order….and so what. This is the first time I’ve said “so what” to un-organization of my life, and I don’t care. I’m graduating in December and I have absolutely no idea what comes next, but rather than dwelling on that, I’m going to enjoy today. It’s my last Saturday in Arusha, so I’m not going to worry about tomorrow, because it’s inevitable- the sun will still rise whether I am ready for it or not. People here don’t worry about the future. Tosh told me the other day, “The rain will come when it comes…so, I’m not going to bother worrying about it today.”
Happiness is a treasure that everyone needs. My life is not perfect, and nothing near it, but I’m going to be happy. I don’t look like Angelina Jolie, but I’m going to be happy with who I am. Today, though I am sick and wrapped up in a blanket, I’m going to smile and be happy- and nothing less than. Tanzania taught me that. I hope you enjoy the pictures I am posting. The moments captured are times that brought me the most joy here. I find joy in the little things.
Until next time…
xx
These are beautiful pictures and words, Taylor! Being here has really changed my perspective on what happiness means. I'm glad we got to have this experience together!
ReplyDeleteJenna
Great post I have enjoyed all your pic's and post!!! This reminds me of Bro. Tipton the dean of theology at JCM, when he taught on the quote form the declaration of independence "the pursuit of happiness." He said that while Tomas Jefferson surly meant well he must not have looked into the definition of happiness. Because "happiness" is derived from "happenings," and you can only have happiness contingent upon good happenings surrounding you. Whereas "joy" is not contingent on your surroundings, we can have joy even when it seams that the world is crumbling around us!! So the term should be....
ReplyDelete"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of joy"
That has always stuck out in my mind the we can have joy no matter what!!! When you feel you don't have any direction, when your loved ones are taken, when you have a lot or have a little,when life happens, there is still joy!! Sounds to me that the folks there have JOY!!!
Gal5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.