In his book,
Joy, Osho recounts a moment in his childhood when he was inexplicably drawn to approach a certain tree on his walk home from school.
As he touched the trunk, he felt a strong connection, a surge of joy, an intimacy he had never experienced since, even with human beings.
Throughout the rest of his life, that joy remained as clear and real to him as the instant it first occurred. "Shining like a star," as he puts it.
If you have, he says, even one moment of happiness your whole life, it will inevitably occur completely on its own, without your seeking or pursuing it.
The word "happiness" comes from the Scandinavian
root, "hap"—the same root as "happening." Happiness simply happens. If you look for it, or try for it, you'll miss it.
The other night, Olive (my 10-year-old daughter) and I were playing a story game—verbally exchanging sentences to create a story.
In the middle of it, she blurted, "I want turkey roast for dinner." There was no rhyme or reason or connection to the story; it just happened out of her mouth.
She doesn't even like turkey roast. The two of us laughed so hard we couldn't breathe.
Like Osho's tree, this was one of those rare joys that just happens. Olive and I were laughing about it the next morning, as we probably will 30 years from now.
Most of us have been conditioned at one time or another to put a limit on our happiness. We're quite masterful at being miserable, not so good at being blissful.
Recall a moment when you felt deeply happy. And the next time happiness happens, enjoy!
—Steve
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