Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

Archive for the tag “searching for happiness”

28 Feb 2014

Controlling Happiness

It would seem we are always in the pursuit of it.

The sign at the front door of my home

Yet,It often seems so elusive, and still I have come to realize that each of us are in control of it. Happiness wisps away like a soap-bubble in the wind. Flying from here to there and hitting people. For some of my friends I think they believe it lands on them – like luck or good fortune. Being happy is definitely a blessing. It is desirable. Not always attainable.

In the pursuit… people seem to do unnatural things don’t they? I mean they will do everything to avoid the inevitable fact that there will be sadness in their lives. Ignoring it, dismissing it as not allowed wont change that. Other people seem to think they can buy happiness, Add more things in their lives and it will be a happier one. Add more things, which will attract more people (who may seem to be your friends). they want to insulate themselves from ever being unhappy by filling their lives with time-filling stuff and people. We know how that turns out. Yet we would struggle to not accept the idea that we could try to see if that would work.

So if it is not money, and it is not avoiding sadness. If indeed it is not elusive at all, then what brings you happiness?

For me? Being confident that the people I love are there for me, and I am there for them. Being sure that I know where my spiritual center is. Understanding that I have the control over my happiness and other emotions. Not that I am going to be happy all the time. We are all human, subject to feelings of melancholy and remorse, anger and sadness, frustration and loneliness. You cannot always choose happiness, bad/sad things happen. Personally as someone fighting cancer I think it is how you deal with it that counts.

But we have the ability to grasp the positive things in our lives. Those things that will make the yin to the yang. Trusting in God. Living a life that is not centered on negative things. Making the best of the situations as they come. Understanding that not everything is going to be “just fine” all the time. It will take the effort.

You have heard the term “control your anger”. Perhaps we can also “control our happiness”?

Happiness Runs- Donovan

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Compassion, Faith, Grace, Happiness, Joy, Kindness, Postive Thinking, Sadness, searching for happiness, Self-Awareness, Songs About Happiness, Sprituality, Who Are You

04 Feb 2014

Songs About “Home”

There is somethings about the word “HOME” that conjures up a lot of feelings.

A destination perhaps, the place you live for sure- but a lot more than that.

A place of comfort – safety. A familiar place. A place for happiness or defeat. Some may see it as a place to run away from. Many may see it is a place they want to return to, while others may see it as something they want to re-create in their lives based on their emotional past.

Home can be where the heart is, or can be what brings you back to the grounding you needed after you have drifted or traveled so far away from it. Like a homecoming. It can contain all of your things that allow you to regain your confidence in who you are, or contain all of the people who are there to reinforce what you were. It can be the place you want to forget on your journey to a new life, or the place you never want to leave because protects you from the unknown.

Home for the holidays, home is anywhere you hang your hat, home sweet home, home is where the heart is, home coming, leaving home, home is where you were born, home is where you ended up, home is where your parents live, a house is not a home, home alone, home together, home at last, running from home, headed home, home by the sea, home on the hill, … the songs and references are endless.

Before you hit your “home” button.

What does HOME mean to you?
What are your favorite song(s) about “home”?

Here are just a few favorite songs of mine 🙂

Homeward Bound – Simon and Garfunkel ( Classic)

Head Home- Midlake ( Great Texas band)

Home Again- Carol King ( Another Classic)

Home Again- Elton John ( All new song from Sir Elton)

Posted in Learning Lessons Along the Journey Of Life and tagged choices, Faith, Family, Finding Home, Finding Your Way Back, Happiness, Home, Homeward Bound, Love, Memories, moments, searching for happiness

15 Mar 2013

Looking for the Rewards Around You

Looking for the reward

Some say rewards are earned, and that is surely the truth in so many circumstances.

Having a heart to heart with my son the other night, we got talking about those things that result in “rewards” in our lives. Those things that can increase the value of what you do and say everyday. He sees it like many others do, that “rewards” are something that will come to you if you deserve them. There could be some element of truth in that, but there are those times when it just happens-like it is planned or expected because you earned them.

So that leaves another thought, the idea that rewards are something you should look for. Of course. Like they are very likely to show up in your life “just because” ( never say never, but when they do I think some call that “luck”)…

Rewards in life can turn to be something we can search for, after all they may not be in plain sight. But it is that adventure of working to uncover them that makes life interesting. You have to define them. Sometimes it is founded on determination, other times on awareness, and yet other times just being in the right place and at the right time to allow the rewards to appear (again some call it “luck”).

After that it is of course also up to your definition of “reward“. I mean cash- money is nice, and so is due recognition for doing things that accomplish life altering efforts- or just getting the individual thank you from someone who makes the work all worthwhile. There are personal victories that end up as our own personal reward. Those can be the most satisfying and long-lasting of any when they meet your goals.

They can sharpen your senses for seeing more in your life, seeing the rewards and the opportunity around you.

Start by defining what the rewards really are.

They start to show up in the most amazing places.