A Few More Caveats About Planning for Next Year
Continuing with our caveats about planning, we focus on "happiness" today. I don't know about you, but the idea that accomplishing a goal will bring some degree of satisfaction plays an important role in deciding whether that goal is worth pursuing. It's only natural that, if the goal satisfies some meaningful aspiration, we should expect some degree of happiness to accompany its accomplishment. But there's a trap here we want to avoid. That trap can be sprung when we pursue our more "worldly" goals, things like: career advancement, making more money, losing a few pounds and getting in shape, and the temptations and indulgences that come with material success.
There's nothing inherently wrong with any of these, of course. But we can easily lose our focus and shift our gaze away from God and back on to ourselves. Rather than enrich the life of the soul by seeking God first, we pursue our goals and aspirations in a self-centered manner, with God at best an afterthought. The happiness that accompanies accomplishments attained by the self-centered will be fleeting. It will never ultimately satisfy. That's why we've included these comments from Benedictine Abbot Leonard Giardina (1922-2011). If you're plan for the New Year includes aspirations to grow your business, your wealth, your physical and emotional well-being, etc., the go for it. Don't let these caveats hold you back. But while we pursue our important goals I think you'll find the Abbot's comments will help us find real and lasting happiness.
As a mirage that vanishes the moment it is reached, happiness and fulfillment always seems just beyond our grasp. Life seems to be a continual searching after that which will satisfy our inner craving for rest, only we find that nothing ever truly satisfies our hunger of soul, at least not for long – no earthly satisfaction, no pleasure, no thrill, no possession. If such things give us deep and lasting happiness, then why do we continue to search for happiness? We are all like little children eagerly waiting for Christmas. When it finally arrives and after we have opened all our presents, have eaten all our goodies, and become bored with all our new toys, we know deep down in our heart of hearts that there is something missing; that somehow nothing has lived up to our expectations. How ardently we look forward to something and yet almost always our pleasure is greater in anticipation than in realization. When we have obtained that coveted possession, felt that desired pleasure, or experienced that new thrill, did it ever give us the happiness that we thought it would? The grass of this earth is always greener on the other side of the fence, but after hopping over the fence we discover, on closer inspection, that it is not as green as we thought. It is often rather quite brown and dead. Time and time again we are deceived by appearances. We are continually grasping for beautiful empty bubbles that pop into nothingness the moment they are captured. We chase mirages until death overtakes us.
Life is, more or less, a continual series of disappointments and disillusionments. In the face of these most people become worldly to a greater or less degree. They reflect that, since life is short, one ought to get the most fun and pleasure out of it as possible. Life becomes an incessant quest for a “good time,” for pleasure, excitement, recreation, and distraction. Their motto is: “Life is short, so play hard.” And they blame everything and everyone for their unhappiness. “If only,” think these deluded souls, “I had another husband, another wife, another job, lived in another city, visited one more bar, had one more drink, had one more toy….” In one way or another, everyone on earth is seeking peace and happiness. The only difference lies in what one thinks true happiness consists of. Many people place happiness in the possession of that which they seem to lack. To the sick, the restoration of health will bring happiness; to the poor, wealth, etc. Even the sinner is seeking happiness in sin but sin has never made anyone happy for long. The list could go on and on, but in every instance they are making happiness depend on something external, on something extrinsic to themselves, whereas the real reason for their unhappiness is the lack of something inside their soul.
The grace-filled Holy Season of Advent begins on Sunday. Soon we'll observe that great day when Our Lord condescended to live amongst us for those brief 33 years of His earthly life. He has never left us. Hold that thought. Let His Holy Spirit help you work your plan, accomplish your goals, and find the true happiness that comes to us when we work for His greater glory.
There's nothing inherently wrong with any of these, of course. But we can easily lose our focus and shift our gaze away from God and back on to ourselves. Rather than enrich the life of the soul by seeking God first, we pursue our goals and aspirations in a self-centered manner, with God at best an afterthought. The happiness that accompanies accomplishments attained by the self-centered will be fleeting. It will never ultimately satisfy. That's why we've included these comments from Benedictine Abbot Leonard Giardina (1922-2011). If you're plan for the New Year includes aspirations to grow your business, your wealth, your physical and emotional well-being, etc., the go for it. Don't let these caveats hold you back. But while we pursue our important goals I think you'll find the Abbot's comments will help us find real and lasting happiness.
As a mirage that vanishes the moment it is reached, happiness and fulfillment always seems just beyond our grasp. Life seems to be a continual searching after that which will satisfy our inner craving for rest, only we find that nothing ever truly satisfies our hunger of soul, at least not for long – no earthly satisfaction, no pleasure, no thrill, no possession. If such things give us deep and lasting happiness, then why do we continue to search for happiness? We are all like little children eagerly waiting for Christmas. When it finally arrives and after we have opened all our presents, have eaten all our goodies, and become bored with all our new toys, we know deep down in our heart of hearts that there is something missing; that somehow nothing has lived up to our expectations. How ardently we look forward to something and yet almost always our pleasure is greater in anticipation than in realization. When we have obtained that coveted possession, felt that desired pleasure, or experienced that new thrill, did it ever give us the happiness that we thought it would? The grass of this earth is always greener on the other side of the fence, but after hopping over the fence we discover, on closer inspection, that it is not as green as we thought. It is often rather quite brown and dead. Time and time again we are deceived by appearances. We are continually grasping for beautiful empty bubbles that pop into nothingness the moment they are captured. We chase mirages until death overtakes us.
Life is, more or less, a continual series of disappointments and disillusionments. In the face of these most people become worldly to a greater or less degree. They reflect that, since life is short, one ought to get the most fun and pleasure out of it as possible. Life becomes an incessant quest for a “good time,” for pleasure, excitement, recreation, and distraction. Their motto is: “Life is short, so play hard.” And they blame everything and everyone for their unhappiness. “If only,” think these deluded souls, “I had another husband, another wife, another job, lived in another city, visited one more bar, had one more drink, had one more toy….” In one way or another, everyone on earth is seeking peace and happiness. The only difference lies in what one thinks true happiness consists of. Many people place happiness in the possession of that which they seem to lack. To the sick, the restoration of health will bring happiness; to the poor, wealth, etc. Even the sinner is seeking happiness in sin but sin has never made anyone happy for long. The list could go on and on, but in every instance they are making happiness depend on something external, on something extrinsic to themselves, whereas the real reason for their unhappiness is the lack of something inside their soul.
The grace-filled Holy Season of Advent begins on Sunday. Soon we'll observe that great day when Our Lord condescended to live amongst us for those brief 33 years of His earthly life. He has never left us. Hold that thought. Let His Holy Spirit help you work your plan, accomplish your goals, and find the true happiness that comes to us when we work for His greater glory.
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