Happiness is...

Last night I watched a documentary called "Happiness is" ~ well, ok, half of a documentary called "Happiness is."  It started out interestingly enough talking with everyone from college professors who analyze happiness to homeless (but talented) artists who create their own happiness despite the odds to children who just are happiness.  The filmmaker lost me, though, when he focused on immigration and featured an on-air pissing contest between Bill O'Reilly and Geraldo Rivera.  Granted it was kind of funny to see the two of them going at it, but the film didn't seem quite so happy anymore.

But it did get me thinking about happiness ~ which can be so elusive or so simple and means so many different things to so many people.  Happiness is a big deal to me but sometimes it seems the more I chase it, the more I analyze it ~ the more it slips away.  

So I took some time and returned to the one thing that can always bring some modicum of happiness - a walk in nature. This morning I took my Canon and my trusty Lensbaby 2.0 and the telephoto adapter and hit the trail. I didn't clear my head as much as I would have liked, but damn it felt good to be back on the path. And did get me thinking...

I noticed that despite our wet spring the lake is low.

And then - not to sound too dramatic - I thought

well, at least I have a lake.

At least I have water.

And then I thought about this ~

Stop analyzing. Stop searching for what is right in your own backyard. Stop creating problems where they may be none. Stop worrying. Stop being dramatic.

Just be happy. Do things that make you happy. For fuck sake.